The Storm
by Poetheather1
Summary: A terrible winter storm has hit Arendelle and the people turn to the Queen for help. Can she and Anna keep their feelings a secret from their people as they work to keep them safe? Elsanna.
1. Chapter 1

The Storm

Poetheather

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

1

The knock at the door was loud and frantic, waking both Elsa and Anna from their sound sleep. Elsa slid out of bed while Anna grumbled tiredly, nuzzling back into the warmth of the covers and pulling Elsa's pillow to her. Throwing on a robe, the Queen headed over to the door and opened it a crack, looking out nervously. Anna and she had been struggling to keep things between them discrete and it had been a struggle. Between Anna's exuberant nature and the attentiveness of the servants, their illicit relationship was barely hidden as is. She did not need anything else to add to the mess their love for each other caused. The last thing she wanted after the summer's madness was a scandal of this nature. "Yes, what is it?"

Her Chancellor was outside her door and he looked a touch frantic. "Your Majesty, I apologize for waking you. Last night's storm was worse than expected and has caused a number of unexpected issues. We had nigh unto two feet of snow and the fjord is freezing. If you could follow me?"

Grumbling in annoyance, Elsa left her room and closed the door behind her. Tightening the belt of her robe she tried to figure out what could be going on. She followed the Chancellor to her office and took her seat, noting that a few others were present. There was a mug of hot chocolate waiting for her there and after she took a sip she asked, "What do we know?"

The Mayor of the town, a man who clearly enjoyed that perks of his office and the soft life it brought, said, "The snow is still coming down at the same rate as earlier. There is ice on the streets that is proving difficult to chip up, making moving about the town difficult. There have already been several people injured from slipping and falling. Some of the poorer sections of town have been having greater difficulties with things as their houses are not as strong as others according to the watch. We have already heard the wood groaning in a few places."

Elsa turned to face the harbor master, a rather sea worn individual, grizzled with white hair and a short beard. He did not look happy about matters either. "The Harbor is starting to freeze since it is protected from the waves more as the cold from this front is rather intense. This could be problematic for our boats but it could also make it difficult for supplies to come in."

Hearing this she turned to her Chancellor and looked at him in question. He answered her unspoken question. "While the country does stockpile items that we cannot locally produce over the winter months we still supplement them via trade with other nations. We receive a ship or two every week that is carrying various trade goods and food stuffs. Without that trade our food stores would be reduced to what is available simply through hunting and foraging and in this weather that would be problematic."

The Captain of the Watch took this moment to step in. "Begging your Majesty's pardon but there is another issue that you need to be aware of. Because of this freeze it may restrict the hunting of the local wolf packs. Your sister reported having to deal with a pack with Kristoff when they were trying to reach you. That is not normal behavior for wolves which makes me think that at least that pack may be going hungry. If that was occurring during the summer months when the hunting is good then we may have hungry wolves prowling our streets, looking for someone to take down."

Elsa sat back in her chair, thinking about all this. Leaving Anna's warm embrace to be faced with this calamity was daunting and certainly a terrible switch. However she was sure she could do something to help her people. After all she had frozen the fjord herself and unfrozen it. The question was could she do it while nature was fighting against her? That would be a real challenge. "Gentlemen thank you for bringing this to my attention. This is indeed a dire situation. Captain, do you suppose a wall around the town will serve to block out the wolves?"

The Captain looked rather surprised at that and stated, "Certainly, but those take time to build and in this snow and cold it wouldn't set correctly so I don't see how it would be practical."

Elsa just gave him a look which made the man color slightly as he realized what she meant. "Ah… uhm… yes, your majesty that would be most helpful."

"I will see what I can do to help with these other issues but I cannot guarantee anything. We are talking about Mother Nature freezing things versus me trying to thaw them. She has a distinct advantage here." Elsa smiled wryly. She had a fairly good understanding of her powers, knowing her control of snow and ice was magnified in winter, since the atmosphere supported what she was doing. But trying to thaw things… she would be directly opposed by nature and that would be a challenge. The looks on the men's faces indicated that they understood what she was saying which took some of that burden off her. "Let me get dressed and we can get started. We should meet in town to better coordinate actions from there. Chancellor, see to it I have breakfast prepared. I will return to you all anon."

They all bowed as she left and she acknowledged it with an incline of her head. What a day. She was so not looking forward to this. She had been so happy and content lying in bed with Anna. Her sister was such a heater and enjoyed cuddling. Elsa could hardly get enough of it. Falling asleep in Anna's arms was the perfect end to every day, even if they didn't make love. But now there was this issue dragging her off. Nothing she had faced as Queen to date had been this difficult. She would need to juggle several things at once to ensure her people were taken care of and worrying about Anna was sadly not one of them.

Amazingly Anna was awake when she reached the room. Elsa smiled softly and said, "Morning sleepy head."

Anna nodded, her untamed mass of hair moving along with her head. It was only through familiarity with the sight that Elsa was able to refrain from giggling.

"I'm afraid I have a really busy day today Anna and I probably won't see you until tonight." Elsa informed her. The unhappiness was clear in her voice.

Anna moved hair from her face and looked questioningly at Elsa. "Why not?"

"The storm we had last night was very bad and it is still going. The fjord is starting to freeze over, there are hungry wolves prowling about, people may be freezing in their own homes and the like. I have to go help," explained Elsa, summing everything up. "It's my job."

Anna's eyes went wide. This was far more than she had expected. Was it really that bad? If so then Elsa would not be able to handle this whole thing on her own, despite the fact that she would certainly try. "I'll help! Let me get dressed and I'll do some of the things so you won't have to. We can share the load."

Feeling her heart warm, Elsa walked over and kissed Anna lightly on the lips. "Thank you my precious Snowflake. I don't know what I would do without you."

Anna blushed and looked down at the covers. Elsa laughed and started to get dressed. Anna watched as her sister removed her dressing gown and night clothes, her eyes taking in the sight of her body. Elsa looked over her shoulder when she heard the sigh and saw Anna watching her, desire plain on her sister's face. Shaking her head, Elsa said, "Later love. Now is not the time for such distractions, no matter how pleasant. We have breakfast to eat and a kingdom to save. Priorities."


	2. Chapter 2

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

2

Breakfast was quite short, slices of dark rye bread topped with warm pate, rashers of bacon and sautéed mushroom as well as slices of white bread with smoked salmon topped with shrimp and dill. Cups of coffee finished that off though Anna preferred hot chocolate as a rule. The two young women ate rather absently, both more focused on other things, Elsa on this crisis and Anna on Elsa. Once they finished their meal and arrangements were made for meals to be brought out to the meeting place, to ensure everyone would be properly fed. Anna bundled up for the weather with her fur boots and hat, making sure to put on her warm mittens and heavy cloak. Elsa simply walked with her as they headed out from the castle in the dress she had worn downstairs, clearly unaffected by the bitter cold.

They headed towards the Mayor's office where all the people involved with keeping Arendelle safe were planning to meet. The wind was blowing quite vigorously and the snowfall was heavy and whipping it all about. Anna kept hold of her sister's arm, while Elsa led the way unerringly, not bothered by the storm to the same degree as her sibling. The reduced visibility was a problem but she was using her powers to help guide her. It was simply a trick of feeling and being aware of the snow and ice that surrounded them and comparing that to what she knew. She couldn't do it all the time but it was very useful in situations like this.

Once inside, they saw the Mayor and his staff, the Captain of the Guards and the Harbormaster all in discussion around a central table with a map spread out over it. When they all noticed the Queen and her sister had entered, they straightened up and bowed. Elsa waved that away, "This is a crisis gentlemen; we need not stand on formality. Have there been any changes since we last spoke this morning?"

"Yes your majesty. We discovered that a few children got out wanting to play in the snow and are lost. They were near the edge of the town and apparently the wind picked up as did the snowfall since then. There is no trace of them," replied the Captain of the Guard. "I have men out looking but they are on safety lines and are restricted as to how far they can go in this blizzard."

Elsa frowned heavily. This was not a good situation. From what she remembered from the records she had studied growing up, they were enduring one of the worst storms to have hit Arendelle in at least fifty years, perhaps longer. If the storm kept up as it seemed more than willing to do, drastic action would need to be taken. Perhaps she should get ahead of the curve and prevent any sort of disaster. "Captain, gather some men and help the poorer families get to the Palace. They can stay there until this storm has past and we have ensured their homes are safe to return to. Mayor, please make sure that everyone who stays in their homes has what they need to make it through this. If they need anything send a messenger here so things can be collected from the castle. Anna, I need you to stay here and coordinate things between the Palace and the town. Make sure anyone who needs extra firewood or blankets or food is taken care of. Get Kristoff to provide some assistance as Sven will be good at moving through this storm. Make sure that our people are taken care of."

"Yes Elsa, I can do that for you. But where will you be?" asked Anna worriedly, afraid she already knew what her sister was going to say.

"I'm going out there first to build the protective wall around the town and then to find those children. Olaf is out here somewhere and he might just know where they are. I can only look for them after I am sure everyone else is safe. I will be fine going out after them as this cold doesn't affect me like it does everyone else," explained Elsa, hoping that would be enough for her sister. "I don't want any of our guardsmen to get frostbite over a job I can do better than they can and faster. Now with children missing we really don't have much time. Let's get to work."

"Your Majesty." said the numerous people there.

Once supplies were gathered for the Queen, including some blankets and food, Elsa hugged her sister and whispered to her, "I love you Snowflake. I'll see you soon."

"I love you too Snowbug. Please be careful." Annna hugged her again and let her free.

Without a backwards glance Elsa set out with a few guardsmen while Anna had someone go find Kristoff. She needed to keep herself occupied to distract herself from the fact that Elsa was going into the greatest danger. Anna looked at the Mayor and asked, "Do you know where all the poorer families are?"

"Yes your Highness. We know exactly which families are in greatest need. I will send people out to get them immediately." He bowed his head in understanding.

"Good. We also need someone to check on the families who are just above that, to make sure they have everything they need as well. I know my sister would hate it is anything happened to anyone." Anna was certain that if one of their people froze because of this weather her sister would take it very hard. Those powers seemed to be more of a burden than a gift half the time and so she was going to do everything she could to ensure that Elsa's fear never manifested. That would only make things worse. "We cannot allow their pride to keep them from the help they need."

The whole notion of Elsa freezing things on top of what this winter storm had already done to their tiny nation just didn't bear thinking about. It was too horrific to even dwell on and made her stomach churn slightly. No Anna needed to do everything in her power to ensure that would never come to pass. Once Kristoff arrived she sent him off with a message to the castle to let them know that there would be people coming to stay as the guardsmen headed out in groups to ferry families to the castle along with some of their belongings. Anna was well aware that there was plenty of room available in the castle as she had explored everything as a kid. Being bored was good for something she supposed. The castle really held no secrets for her anymore.

Meanwhile Elsa was trying to keep the wind from blowing her off her feet as she headed towards the outskirts of the town with two guardsmen in tow. When they were nearing the boundary Elsa spotted Olaf just wandering around by himself, humming happily. "Olaf!"

"Hi Elsa." He waved one of his little stick arms at her. "What can I do for you?"

"Did you see any children come by here? It may have been earlier. It's very important." She was rather worried. If these soldiers were cold already then the kids who were lost in the blizzard couldn't be feeling any better. She needed to find them as fast as possible.

"Well, I didn't exactly see them but I heard them," admitted the animated snowman.

Elsa sighed in relief. There might be a chance that they could be found. "Please go in the direction you hear the voices heading and find them. When you do, see if you can get them somewhere safe. I'll be right behind you once I take care of something here."

"Okay Elsa." Olaf came up and hugged her before he vanished into the swirling snow.

Elsa watched him depart, her heart going out with him, desperate for those kids safety. She shook her self, not from the cold but to clear her mind and to focus on the task at hand. "Now Sergeant where exactly am I to put this wall?"

The Sergeant pulled free an already folded map, holding it tightly in the wind. He pointed with his finger along the map before gesturing at the actual landscape. "The Captain thought the wall would be best if it were here, along this section, that way it's not too close to the buildings and yet not too far away. Is there any way you can build guard towers along it so guards can be posted to watch for anyone coming as well as wolves?"

"I can do that. Where would you want them?" asked Elsa, looking at the map and then back up at the winter landscape. There really wasn't a lot of visibility.

"Definitely two on either side of the road from town and perhaps you could place few more along the rest of the wall and capping the end. Can you do that your Majesty?" The Sergeant was unsure the full extent of the Queen's power.

Elsa just gave him a smile, pictured what she wanted these walls and towers to look like before she found her spot, stomped her foot causing her power to flare in a snowflake pattern and then speed out along the proposed route. Slowly rime covered walls grew from the ground, towers rising up in crystalline form. She slowly stretched them out, making sure that they were following the proposed route and not threatening anyone's house or any other building. Once they finished growing, she took a few breaths, feeling the exertion some before she touched the wall and there was another flash of power and the rime vanished to be replaced by pure, clear ice. The soldiers were left gaping at the sight. The door opened and Elsa looked back at them, hitching the backpack more firmly into place. "Tell the Princess that I have finished with the protective wall and that I have gone to look for the children. I am counting on her to take care of everyone else while I am gone."

"Good luck your Majesty."

The gate of ice closed behind her solidly.


	3. Chapter 3

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

3

Elsa knew that being out here alone if there were hungry wolves about might be stupid but since she was the only one of her people who was immune to the effects of this weather and was thus the perfect choice of a rescuer it wasn't like there was another choice. However, she was also not an idiot. Thinking about how upset Anna would be if she did not return, Elsa spun the snow next to her into a protective creature, powerful and watchful, similar to a wolf only larger. She pet it on the head and it rubbed against her, nearly knocking her over in its affection. That action made her smile, thinking of Anna.

Now she had to go find those kids. With one hand on her wolf she closed her eyes and stretched out her awareness of the cold and ice and snow. It was a discordant mess at first, since it was swirling about, but she was able to isolate the snow in the air, from the ground, from the trees, looking for anything, if the kids had built something like a snowcave for protection, any clue as to their whereabouts. Off towards the forest she could feel Olaf. He didn't seem to be moving so perhaps he had found them? It was possible. Given that he liked warm hugs he could probably head right for people who could give them to him. And he loved the children of Arendelle and they loved him right back so it was quite possible that he had done this. She looked up at the darkening sky and frowned. Was the daylight fading already?

She moved off through the snow with a purpose, heading towards Olaf, trying to stay aware of her surroundings. It was rather dangerous out here, despite her being unaffected by the weather. Even she could trip on things though she was far more graceful than Anna. The shadows deepened as she neared the forest and she wondered just why the kids would have headed up here? They would have had to have walked uphill, away from the town to get here so what were they doing. Surely they would have noticed the change in elevation… right? If they had a sled with them, so help her she was going to…

A howl broke her rant.

Anna was talking with the Mayor, her mind trying to go over all the things Elsa had asked her to manage for her. "Do we have all the poorer families moved to the castle yet?"

"Not yet your Highness. There are still a few others left but we are making steady progress. All the children and elderly from that group are there already however, as you requested. They were the first priority."

Anna nodded. She knew they might be more susceptible to the weather and thus in greater need of better shelter. "Excellent. How about provisions? Do people have enough fire wood and blankets to hold out through this?"

"I have men still checking Princess Anna. We should find out shortly if there are any families that have a need." He stated.

Anna nodded again and then looked off inland, the direction Elsa had headed off. It was getting dark and colder, the drop in temperature noticeable even inside the building. She did not want her sister to be caught out in this storm overnight even though she knew that Elsa was not affected by the cold the way other people were. "I am sure she will be fine your Highness."

Blushing, Anna stammered out, "I… I don't know what you mean."

"We all know you care a great deal for your sister Princess Anna that is nothing to be ashamed of," stated the Mayor.

Her blush deepened, as she was painfully aware that what she felt for her sister and what her sister felt for her was something that most people would be appalled over. That the sisters were more than just close but were actually lovers was perhaps known to only a few of the staff and then only because that was inevitable when you are royalty. With servants and handmaids about it was nigh unto impossible to be utterly discrete. They both had worked hard to keep it secret and Anna still maintained her friendship with Kristoff to make people think that she had a boy she was interested in. Well, not only for that reason but it was a consideration when it came to how public they did things. That her true love was her sister was not her choice but it was okay with her but it was also a secret they knew they would have to keep. Thankfully the Grand Pabbie was rather understanding about the whole matter. "Thank you Lord Mayor. I do worry about her."

"That is quite understandable. We all are. Now we need to work on getting the snow from the roofs, as it is over two feet deep now and you can hear the wood creaking in some places," explained the Mayor. "It is wet enough that it isn't simply sliding off, which is a serious problem."

Anna sighed. She knew ruling wasn't easy as Elsa was always so busy with it and had dragged her into a few things to make sure she knew the basics but this day just never seemed to end. There was always one thing after another that she was being asked to decide, things she generally had no clue over. "Right. We should gather the men and guards and see what we can do. The best option would be if my sister would return as she could take the snow off the roofs rather quickly but until she gets here with the children we are left to our own devices. Now what do we have to make this happen?"

Elsa increased her pace as the howling increased, running, her feet crunching through the snow and the sound seemed to come from multiple directions. She and her snow wolf had already reached the cover of the trees but that actually gave the wolves more avenues of approach them than she had ways to easily cover. This was not a good situation. She needed some sort of break to turn the tide. "Olaf!"

"Elsa?"

She heard the snowman's voice from up ahead and redoubled her pace. She dearly hoped that he had somehow stumbled onto the children or this would become a race against the wolf pack and she did not relish their odds. She was most certainly not a hunter and the only advantage she had in this situation was her powers. Rushing out into a small clearing she found Olaf with the children and she gave a sigh of relief. "Well done Olaf. Now we need to get these children home before anything else happens."

Her snow wolf began to growl and similar noises began to be heard from around the clearing. Elsa's eyes widened, this was not good. The wolves had found them far faster than she had expected. She got in front of the children and counted on her snow wolf to guard their backs. With a quick spin of her hand she encased the children and Olaf in a dome of ice, praying that would afford them some protection from this obviously ravening pack. The wolves drew ever closer to them and she could hear the frightened sounds from the children. She would not have the luxury of playing nice with these wolves since she was trying to protect someone and not just herself. Using a couple of ice blasts to try and frighten them away, she frowned as there was little to no reaction from the hungry animals. Well if that was the way they wanted to be, so be it.

The wolves kept circling, eyes constantly on their prey. Finally they made their move and lunged for Elsa and her snow wolf. One wolf slammed into an ice wall head first that Elsa had summoned with an upward slash of one hand, while another found its paws frozen in place as she had thrust a hand forward. The snow wolf was busy fighting three wolves, with more trying to find moments to take their shots. Thankful that the pack found him the more dangerous opponent, Elsa quickly upgraded him with some more ice, strengthening his body more.

Another wolf leapt for her and Elsa flicked her arm outwards. A wall of ice curved upwards to slam into the animal, driving it into a tree. The yelp it made was rather loud. She scanned the gloom on her side and it seemed like the wolves on her side were dealt with so the Queen turned to help her creation with his own mess. The majority of the pack was on her snow wolf, trying to take him down. She used ice walls to fling animals about, into trees and each other, making it easier for her creation to fight on its own. This combined attack was too much for the wolves and they raced off into the darkness under the trees. As the pack turned and fled Elsa sagged some and sighed, frowning at the growing dark.


	4. Chapter 4

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

4

Anna was in the castle pacing back and forth nervously. Night had fallen and Elsa had not returned. There was a dim glow thanks to the phase of the moon but it was barely enough to see anything. A few people in her hearing had mused that she might be dead, killed by wolves but upon catching the red eyed glare of the Princess they shut up quickly and left the room. The Princess was damned if she was going to cry but this waiting was making her crazy. Her heart was trembling and she was certain it wasn't going to stop until Elsa was back. She knew people were watching her, trying to figure out why she was acting this way but she didn't care. The woman she loved was out there in the snow, facing untold dangers, and who knew what had happened to her.

Kristoff walked up to her and took her in his strong arms. She clutched him and began crying, the stress coming out it a rush of tears. He seemed quite awkward as he patted her back and said, "Uhm… it'll be okay Anna."

Anna pulled back and glared at him. Was this idiot even aware of what was going on? "How? How do you know that? How Kristoff? Elsa is out there in the dark with hungry wolves and those lost kids and who knows what is going on. We have to go get them!"

Pulling her back into him and speaking in that calm voice of his, Kristoff said, "Look Anna, with the storm still going strong and how dark it is right now going out there is just asking to get lost and freeze to death. Your sister knows what she is doing and out of anyone in all of Arendelle, she is the absolute best suited for being out in this. She'll be fine."

Trembling in his arms, Anna's voice grew soft, her words hesitant as if even speaking them would bring ruin. "Kristoff, what… what if something happened to Elsa? What if she died? I… I just couldn't bear for that to happen. I… I…"

"I know." He held her against him as she started to cry again. "She knows that as well."

"What if… what if I never get to see her again?" Anna hiccoughed through her tears. "Never get to tell her I love her again?"

Kristoff looked around the rapidly emptying hall for assistance and found none. He rubbed her back, thinking that might help. "Anna, all we can do is wait and see what happens tomorrow."

Anna nodded and looked out the window at the howling wind and the swirling snow.

Meanwhile in the snowhouse that Elsa had built, Olaf walked up to the kids who were huddled together shivering and said, "Hi I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs."

The youngest, a little girl with blonde braided pigtails that made Elsa think of Anna, smiled slightly and said "Hi Olaf, I'm Ingrid."

The snow man trundled on over and hugged the little girl. He then looked at the two older boys and asked, "And what are your names?"

"My name is Bjor and this is Frans." They both seemed unsure of the snowman, as if it were going to do something odd at any moment.

Elsa was only partially paying attention to all of that as she was pulling items from the back pack, making sure that the three children bundled up in blankets. She was a bit upset over these children having done this about as much as she was relieved that they were okay. Were they aware of how easily they could have been killed with this stupid stunt of theirs?

Ingrid was looking at her curiously and asked, "Are you the Queen?"

She struggled to put a smile on her face, to move past her vexation, and said, "Yes, I am Queen Elsa."

The boys started, quite surprised to hear this and looked mortified. Frans squeaked out, "The Queen came out to look for us?"

"Well guardsmen were looking at first but you had gotten so far away from the town that if they went searching for you there was a good chance of them getting lost as well. Then with the snow and wind piling snow against the city walls I needed to build new ones to keep the wolves so someone had to get you. I said I would go as the cold doesn't bother me," explained Elsa calmly. These children really had caused a complex situation but thankfully she had found them before they had gotten hurt or worse.

Ingrid looked ready to cry. She turned to face the two boys, her faced scrunched up in anger, fists clenched and accusingly said, "I told you going out was a bad idea. You did it anyway. And now were in trouble."

Looking abashed, the boys looked down at the floor of the ice house Elsa had built for them once the wolves had been driven off. Her snow wolf still prowled around outside in the blizzard, happy to protect all of them. The Queen sighed. Knowing that she had to calm these children down, despite completely agreeing with Ingrid she spoke up. In all honesty they weren't as bad as some of the Ambassadors she had had to deal with and none of them were even remotely like the Duke of Weaseltown, so perhaps playing nice might be for the best. "That's not important right now. Right now you three need to warm up and get some food in you. You each get a sip of Akevitt to help chase away the chill and then I have some koldtbord for us all to share in."

She handed over the flask she had found in the pack after she had taken a small swig of it for herself. It was potent but after everything she had been through, and what the kids had been through it was probably a good idea. As the flask went around, followed by coughing from the strength of the liquor, Elsa was laying out the wrapped packets of food. There was a loaf of black bread, butter, various meats, cheeses, herring, a few sausages and some cabbage rolls. It was a lot of variety but not a lot in total for four hungry people. Elsa went through and kept back some of the meats and cheeses for breakfast, hoping that there would be bread and butter left. She cut slices of bread and handed them out after smearing them with butter. There was a cup available and thinking about Anna and how much she loved her, this allowed Elsa to melt some snow and ice into water. She had to do this several times to ensure everyone had their fill.

Once fed the children, exhausted by their exertions and their fright with the wolves, fell right to sleep all bundled together, the boys keeping Ingrid safe between them. Elsa sighed at the sight; it reminded her most vividly of how much she missed Anna. Sleeping without her would be difficult despite the fact that they hadn't been sleeping together the whole time since they got reunited. There had been that fun and awkward few weeks after the Hans debacle before they admitted how they really felt about each other. Since then they had spent every night together, cuddled together for comfort and sometimes for more. This would be odd.

"Do you need a hug Elsa?"

The blond turned to face the snowman who was looking at her expectantly. She smiled faintly, "Sure Olaf, it couldn't hurt."

Anna was so tired that her eyes burned and ached but she couldn't sleep. Her sister was out there and she was reduced to tossing and turning in the bed they shared. The Chancellor had sent her off to bed several hours ago after informing her that the people were as safe as they could be for the time being. While that was good and meant she wouldn't have to make any other decisions at the moment it also meant that there was nothing to keep her mind occupied, to keep her from worrying about the woman she loved. All that kept running through her thoughts was how those wolves had attacked her and Kristoff that summer and what might happen to Elsa if the same happened to her. She wouldn't be there to protect her, to throw a burning bedroll at them, to hit them, to do anything to keep her safe.

Reaching over, she grabbed Elsa's pillow and pulled it over to her, holding it tight in her arms and breathing in the comforting presence of her sister. For all the trouble and bother that being in love with her sister brought, all the guilt and uncertainty, the mere fact that Elsa was there, with her after all those years apart made everything better. For thirteen years Elsa had been a ghostly sibling, known but barely seen and certainly never interacted with. Anna had wanted love but above all she had wanted the love of her older sister back. There were times she remembered sitting on her mother's lap, bawling because Elsa didn't love her any more. She had nearly been inconsolable and it had taken her mother hours to calm her down and reassure her that Elsa did love her, with all her heart but that sometimes life created situations that got in the way. She had never forgotten those words nor how strong the love for her sister had been and even though the nature of it changed its strength never wavered. If anything it only grew in potency. Elsa was her true love. There was no denying that and it hurt to be apart from her.

Clutching the pillow to her, tears staining the fabric, Anna finally succumbed to a fitful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

5

The walls of the snow house took on a soft glow as the sky lightened with the coming of dawn, filtered as it was through the storm clouds and trees. Waking up and stretching, Elsa was quite glad she had had the presence of mind when she built this place last night to include two bathrooms. True it was all crude compared to the facilities at the palace, in fact they were little more than outhouses, but they were most certainly out of the wind and protected from wolves, which was infinitely better than the alternative. She heard fidgeting when she made it out to the main room, letting her know that the children were awake.

While they were getting up and taking care of morning needs, Elsa was laying out the food on the ice table and slicing the bread. The sooner they ate the sooner the lot of them could head back to town and have a proper meal. Elsa dearly wanted a hot bath, not because of the cold but because it would help with the aches she had developed. That and she was sure that the children could dearly use some warmth as they were not immune to the effects of the cold like she was. They would need a hot meal and proper rest if they were going to properly get over this misadventure. Olaf was humming to himself as he walked into the room and Elsa just had to smile. "Thank you Olaf."

"For what?" The snowman seemed honestly surprised to hear that.

"For finding those children. Because you managed to do that it made it easier for me to find them and get to you all in time. You also helped keep them calm, which was a great help, especially during the attack. So thank you." said Elsa, emotion clear in her voice.

Olaf looked at her, a bit in awe in his face. "Thank you Elsa. That means a lot."

"You're welcome Olaf." The two shared a warm hug.

Ingrid was the first to come into the room. She seemed to be rather shy that morning and looked like she had barely slept. If the boys moved about as they slept she could understand it. Perhaps it would have been a better plan to take her into bed with her. Anna was the one who wandered everywhere while she slept while Elsa seemed to wake up in the same spot she fell asleep in. The Queen waved her forward, "Come on Ingrid, you need to have some breakfast. We have a long walk ahead of us and we need to make sure that you're ready for it."

"Yes your Majesty." She did what passed as a curtsy.

Elsa rolled her eyes and sighed. While it was cute it was so not needed in this particular situation. "Ingrid, while I know I am the Queen, while we are out here you don't have to call me that. You can just call me Auntie Elsa, ok?"

"Is it really okay?" asked Ingrid worriedly, wringing her hands slightly and looking about.

"If someone tries to get you in trouble over it I'll fix it. Even if you do it back in Arendelle. Don't worry." Elsa tried to reassure the young girl. "Now eat. We have a long day ahead of us and we want to be ready."

Back in the palace, Anna was already up and moving, since she had slept fitfully that night. Her worry about Elsa had followed her to her dreams and she had dreamt that Elsa was out there, frozen solid like she had been. It had not made returning to sleep easy. So getting dressed and checking with the staff to make sure that their guests were doing well was better than that. "Yes your Highness. The various families were all bedded down just fine in the guest wing. We still have available room if need be."

"And we have enough food for all these additional people?" asked Anna, slightly worried that a problem might develop. As an avid eater herself she was well aware that food problems could occur whenever large groups of people gathered.

The Seneschal smiled, pleased that the Princess was interested in the run of the Royal Household, even if it primarily dealt with one of the girl's favorite things. "Well, so long as they are not here overly long, we should be able to feed everyone without depleting our stores too badly. It will mean that when the next several merchant ships come through that we will be buying more than what we normal do but that shouldn't tax our household budget too badly. There are allowances built in after all. And if not, well I am sure your sister will make the necessary transfers."

Anna nodded, pleased that one of her worries was put to rest. Making sure all these people had plenty to eat was a daunting task but clearly the staff was on top of it. Something else occurred to her and her eyes widened in worry. This could be very bad. Very, very bad. "You… you aren't letting other people have access to the chocolate… right?"

Laughing, the Seneschal had to wipe a tear from his eye when he replied, "Your Highness, just so you know there are two stores of chocolate that we maintain the common stores and the private stores for you and your sister. We did that when you were both younger and your mother realized just how much the both of you loved chocolate. She insisted that there would always be a separate and special collection of chocolate for you both and we have held to that. And chocolate that has been given to our guests has come solely from the common stores. The kitchen staff knows far better than to let anyone touch your chocolate."

Anna had the grace to blush at that though she was also choking up at the notion that their mother had thought about them in that way in order to prepare this for them. "Yes, thank you." After a deep breath she asked, "Has the Mayor or the Chancellor come by yet today?"

"Yes your Highness. They are awaiting you in the Great Hall." The Seneschal bowed to her, realizing her question for what it was.

Anna nodded her thanks and made her way to that room. Great Hall sounded so much better than Throne Room to her as Throne Room kind of sounded a bit like a glorified water closet. This new name was definitely less awkward and less likely to make her giggle at an inopportune moment. A number of people bowed to her as she entered through the doors by the thrones and she took her seat next to Elsa's throne, smiling at the assembled leaders. "Yes Gentlemen, do we have any updates?"

"Your Highness, the weather has not abated and we have gained another foot and a half of snow since yesterday. Three buildings in town collapsed last night under the weight as the wet snow did not slide off their roofs. Workers have been trying to help the snow off the other roofs but it has not done as good a job as we had hoped. The fjord continues to freeze and there is a growing danger to the boats. If the cold deepens and the ice goes lower in the water then our fleet is in real trouble as the ice can break seams in the bottoms of boats. As it is we were expecting a merchant vessel in three days' time and if we cannot clear the harbor this might prove more challenging than expected," explained the Chancellor, clearly trying to sum the situation up.

"Surely we have provisions set in place to deal with this sort of situation? I mean with the harbor." asked Anna.

The Harbormaster spoke up, since this was his area of expertise. "Yes your Highness. However they are tricky and with the weather as it is the whole process would be dangerous for all involved."

"I see. So the problem is not that we _can_ do this but rather that people might die or get injured doing this." Anna was not overly pleased that she was the one here having to juggle all this and make decisions that were going to affect their people. How did Elsa do this and look so calm and unruffled?

"Correct. If the weather clears before the harbor thaws then we should be fine. The problem arises if it does not."

Anna nodded, that all made sense but she was unsure what to do about it now. Was there anything that actually could be done about it now? "We should defer decisions on that until her Majesty returns today with the children. If she does not than I guess we will revisit this and try to come up with some sort of option. As for the roofs… I guess we should assign more manpower. Captain, has there been any sign of my sister and the children?"

"Not yet your highness. The wall and towers your sister made are wonderful, providing plenty of protection from wolves and what have you through this storm. I have had people trying to keep watch but the cold and the lack of visibility has made it all but impossible to do," explained the Captain.

"I see." Anna tried to hide her worry. Showing just how stressed she was over Elsa would help no one and she needed to think clearly in order to ensure she was able to do her best for their people. This was making her crazy. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Elsa organized her young charges before they headed out. "Ingrid you will hold onto my hand while we walk and boys you will follow behind holding onto the rope that is tied to Ingrid's waist. Olaf you will follow behind to make sure no one gets lost. Okay?"

Everyone nodded. The plan was easy enough for all of them to follow.

"Let's go." They walked outside, the wind and snow smacking into them, even in the protected clearing. The snow wolf was there standing guard over the house, turning his head from the tree line to look at them. Elsa spun her hand and another snow wolf rose from the ground to move next to the other. "You two will walk on either side of us to protect us as we head back to Arendelle, alright?"

The wolves nodded their heads.

"Shall we?"


	6. Chapter 6

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

6

Anna had had enough. She couldn't pace in the palace anymore. She had done too much of that in her life already. If she didn't get out and do something she was going to explode. Maybe if she headed into town she would be closer to where Elsa would be when she finally returned? It was an option. She refused to even think of the possibility that Elsa might not return as it was far too terrible and painful to consider. Finding out that Elsa was alright was the most important thing she could think of right now as it would settle her jumbled insides.

Once she informed the Seneschal where she was going, Anna bundled up and headed out into the ongoing blizzard. A path had been cut in the deepening snow which made walking in the correct direction far easier than it had been at first, the snow a little over waist high on each side. She still had to fight against the wind but that was something she was willing to do, anything to get closer to where Elsa could be.

It was a cold walk with the wind blowing against her side, biting somewhat through the thick woolen fabric. Her actual winter clothes were warmer than the ones she had gotten from Oaken but it still did little to deal with cold of this nature. This was the kind of cold where you simply wanted to be cuddled up with the one you loved next to a fire, drinking hot chocolate not worrying if they were dead and eaten by wolves. She swallowed her gorge and shook her head to clear that image. That was the last thing she needed to deal with right now as she was already nervous and wound up. She made it to the Mayor's hall and entered. The Mayor looked up from where he was working and smiled at her, saying, "Good morning again, your Highness."

"Good morning Mayor. Have we seen or heard anything more yet?" She smiled at the man who was working so hard to help the town stay safe.

"Not yet my lady. Once she reaches the walls they are bringing them directly here, hence the food and gløgg currently warming by the stove." The mayor pointed that out. "Would you like a glass? I know that it is a cold walk over from the palace."

Anna sighed. At least there was a plan in place. "Thank you, please. And that is good to hear, I mean that we have preparations ready for them. Are there plenty of blankets for the children?"

"Yes your Highness. They are stacked by the fire to be nice and warm. We have found the boys' parents and they have been worried about what has happened. I have a guardsman ready to inform them once they have returned."

"And that's all that's missing? Just those two boys?" Anna wanted to make sure that they had everything taken care of. It would not do for them to let anything slip through their fingers in their preparations.

"I believe so your Highness. We have all we can in order."

Anna nodded and sipped the mug of gløgg that a guardsman had handed her, grateful for its warmth.

Elsa could hear the wolves behind them but apparently the second snow wolf she had made was enough of a deterrent to keep them from attacking. That pleased her a great deal. The trek was rough enough given how deep the snow was. The boys seemed nervous and Ingrid was pressed alongside her, constantly glancing backwards, as if the wolves were going to leap out at them. Elsa put an arm around the girl's shoulder and kept her close as they walked through the blizzard. She could feel the walls she had built and that allowed her to aim them unerringly right for the gates, the wolves she had created working lovely to brace them in to keep the boys from drifting to the side. Olaf kept singing to himself, which kept spirits up. He even sang this song he said Kristoff and Anna had loved about Summer. Elsa had rolled her eyes but the kids giggled which helped their motivation.

It took a good while for them to make it down to the wall. Snow and ice caked the children while nothing hung to Elsa. The Queen had been so busy making sure that they were safe from the wolves, walking in the correct direction, and making the path easier for them all that she hadn't been able to see to that. If the wolves hadn't been there she could have kept the children snow free but alas they had ghosted them the whole way down, clearly hoping to pick off a straggler. Up ahead the wall grew clearer and Elsa could see the gates she had created. She sighed in relief, this was nearly over. They got into the lee of the wall and the wind chill dropped precipitously. Before she opened the ice gates, Elsa turned to the snow wolves and said, "Please keep the town free of wolves and when things start to thaw, head up North Mountain to the Ice Palace. I will probably see you before then however."

They nodded to her and stalked off into the blizzard, heading towards the sounds of the pack.

Guards moved forward when the ice gates opened and the group of them entered the town. They seemed surprised and quite pleased to see the group of them. Several of them cried out, "Your Majesty!"

"Let us get out of this weather, shall we?" said Elsa, perfectly regally, sliding back into the role of Arendelle's Queen.

The guardsmen ushered them to the Mayor's Hall. The children were the first through the door and before Elsa could really look around the room to note who was there, Anna crashed into her, arms wrapped tight about her, head nestled in the crook of her neck, sobbing. Elsa reddened some, noticing the various members of the town council looking at them curiously. She rubbed Anna's back, making soft soothing noises, "It's okay Anna. I'm here. I'm safe."

"I was so scared Elsa. What if you didn't come back?" sobbed out Anna, clutching her a little tighter, almost afraid she would disappear again.

"But I did Anna, I did. Olaf found the kids. The snow wolf I made kept us all safe. We all made it back safe and sound," explained Elsa, trying to console the upset Anna. "See, we're all here."

"Why didn't you send Olaf to let people know you were safe?" said Anna accusingly, suddenly turning the tone of her words, pulling back slightly to look Elsa in the face but not releasing her hug.

"Uh… I didn't think of it because I was so busy making sure the kids were taken care of. And then… well… look can we talk about this later Anna?" asked Elsa nervously. The way the town council was looking at them was not exactly sitting right with her. They had been hugging a long time, longer than most people did.

"You could have sent him off before you went to bed. It's not like Olaf sleeps or would be eaten by wolves. You can ask him. He would have been happy to come down here and let someone know that you were still alive." She was really building up a head of steam.

"Anna, please, not here." Elsa was hungry and not really in the mood for this emotional outburst and given the direction this conversation was starting to drift their secret would be out before long and she had no idea what they would do with that. The potential fallout from that revelation could be devastating. "Gentlemen, thank you for your help, I will see you later."

With that Elsa broke free from Anna's arms, turned on her heels, and walked back outside. Olaf commented, "Wow… do you think the Queen is upset?"

Her loves sudden departure shocked Anna and she was about to say something when the door slammed shut practically in her face. What had she done? Clearly there was something wrong and she had caused it but she was at a loss as to what it could be. She bustled over and grabbed her cloak, slinging it over her shoulders. She had to fix this. "Your Highness?"

Anna stopped what she was doing and turned, "Yes?"

"We can return the boys to their parents but this girl, Ingrid is a friend of theirs and her parents are currently at the palace. Is there any way you could escort her there? I don't know how she was overlooked but it happened. I know this is an imposition but with the majority of my men working to clear roofs I'm afraid I won't have anyone to spare to escort her to the palace for several hours," said the Mayor, looking a bit contrite.

Anna nodded and gestured for the young girl to head over. The girl was staring at her with wide eyes, apparently a bit amazed it was her. Even though Anna was still wound up over her tiff with Elsa she was still able to muster a friendly smile. "Come on Ingrid. Just a little bit more and then we're back at the palace. You can see your parents then."

Elsa stalked back, barely noticing the thick snow and icy patches all about. Didn't Anna realize what a dangerous position they were in? If they were caught there were many bad things that could happen to them. It wasn't like they were Italians or French or some sort of people like that. They weren't even Russians who could just ignore what their people said. No their people would never accept the fact that the sisters loved each other the way that a man was supposed to love a woman. They would never accept that their Queen was in love with their Princess and that it was wholeheartedly returned. Elsa moved from the courtyard to the little garden, wanting some alone time.

Elsa wrung her hands together and her stomach churned unhappily. Anna had been putting both of them at risk by making such an emotional issue out of her return and being gone. It was drawing too much attention to how close they were and people were bound to notice and bound to start talking. Hopefully it wasn't too late already, what with how they had been sleeping together and such. She wasn't aware how badly the palace gossips talked but they alone could ruin the two of them. Elsa felt sick.

So distracted by all that was going on in her head and stomach, she didn't notice that the temperature in the garden dropped farther or that ice began to spread out from where she was pacing, to creep up the walls. Rime began to coat the palace's walls as she fretted even more, her hands clenching and unclenching. Elsa was hugging herself as she just knew that they were going to get caught and killed like the monsters they were.


	7. Chapter 7

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

7

Gerda came up and greeted Anna when she entered the Palace. "Welcome back your Highness. And who is this?"

With a smile at the Head Housekeeper, Anna said, "This is Ingrid. She is one of the children Queen Elsa went out and rescued yesterday. Her parents are here with the others. Has she returned?"

"No your Highness, I haven't seen her. Just knowing you are both back, I will make sure that fitting dinner is prepared and when her Majesty returns we will have some hot chocolate waiting for her. I will make sure this one gets to where she belongs." Gerda smiled and curtsied before leading Ingrid off. The girl shyly waved good bye to the Princess.

Anna was concerned. Elsa had left the Mayor's Hall before them and since the weather did not faze her besides her needing to deal with the wind itself, she should have gotten here already. Where could she be? Was she still outside? Anna bundled up again, took a deep breath to prepare herself to face the chill again, and walked back out to the courtyard. It was somewhat protected from the wind but if she were Elsa where would she want to go to be away from people and not be spotted by her sister returning? Looking at the various exits from the courtyard she realized that it was least likely for there to be anyone in the garden right now.

Walking that way, Anna began to notice it was getting colder the closer she moved towards it. That made her frown. Was Elsa upset, like really upset? Lately her sister had gotten far better control over her powers so to see and feel something like this was… well it was a bit disconcerting. Reaching the door, she noticed that this side was covered lightly in frost. She tried to open the door but it resisted her, the mechanism sticking slightly. Throwing her shoulder into it, she shoved into the door with all her might.

Elsa stopped her frantic pacing as Anna tumbled through the garden door with a shriek. Eyes wide, she called out worriedly, "Anna!"

Hustling over there, Elsa helped her sister to her feet and checked to make sure she was okay. Anna was red faced and shivering, her teeth chattering a little when she said, "H-hi E-e-elsa. I m-m-m-issed you!"

Given that Anna was not one to usually shiver, Elsa glanced around and noticed the state of the garden, panicking slightly. Had she really lost that much control? Anna reached up with one mittened hand and rested it on Elsa's face. "I-It's o-okay love. W-we're tog-gether."

Elsa smiled gently, calming down, and felt her power shift, the cold beginning to lift from this area, removing all of her damage and even some of the storms effects from the garden around them. Anna made her feel so loved, so safe, so accepted, so many things she had been missing for so many years. She really had no idea what she would do without her sister. It was only her calming presence and constant love that really kept her fear and depression and panic away. Last night she had been driven by a purpose and a need but she didn't have that luxury now. With Olaf there she had been able to hold the worst of it at bay. But she had been emotionally frayed by the time she had gotten back and Anna being overly demonstrative and putting them both at risk had been too much for her to handle right then.

With a sigh as the temperature dropped yet again, Anna said patiently, "Now will you please talk to me Elsa. I was so worried about you, afraid you might have been eaten by wolves, and then when I finally see you, you close down and shut me out. And then I come out here finding you freezing the garden which lets me know just how wound up you are. What's wrong Elsa? Please talk to me. We can get through this together."

Nodding her head, Elsa took her sister's hand and led them inside as she knew that Anna would need the warmth even if she didn't, especially after that extra freeze. Some of the staff noticed them when they came in and took their cloaks and boots from them. By the time that was done Gerda had gotten there and had taken one look at the two of them and tutted in that way of hers. "Right, the both of you off to your rooms. I will bring up some food and hot chocolate for the both of you."

Elsa chuckled and said under her breath so only Anna could hear, "I thought I was the one in charge here."

The two giggled as they made their way upstairs to the rooms they shared. They each helped the other undress and get into dry clothes, making sure to put warm house shoes on as well. Given this emergency they wanted to be ready to head out if needed at a moment's notice. Nestled by the fire, they were slightly startled when there was a knock at the door and Gerda came in, pushing a tray laden with food, much of it steaming. She closed the door behind her.

Anna blushed slightly, Gerda had said for them to head to their rooms but she only stayed here and had not slept in her own room in months. "Well you two, come and get some food, especially you Your Majesty. I have plenty of warm and filling things here. I know you don't get cold like others do but the warm doesn't hurt now does it."

Elsa stood and nervously walked to the table, unsure of what Gerda was up to. They had both known this woman for their whole lives and so were sure she had something to say, as delivering food was generally not her job. "Thank you Gerda."

"Certainly Your Majesty."

Anna took a seat and reached for her mug of hot chocolate, so needing the rich comfort that it would bring. Her hand paused as Gerda said, "Begging your pardon Your Majesties?"

Anna and Elsa turned to look at her expectantly. Elsa prodded her on, "Yes Gerda?"

The Head Housekeeper blushed, obviously a bit discomforted by what was going through her mind and said, "I have had to quell a couple of rumors about the two of you."

Elsa merely raised an eyebrow in question. This did not bode well.

"They were talking about how you two… well, how close you are."

Elsa closed her eyes and sighed. So this was it. The secret was going to come out like it had been bound to do. She opened her eyes and then said, "You can speak plainly Gerda, you shan't offend us."

"I have noticed that you two, well that you are sharing a room like you used to and unlike then a bed. I try not to make any presumptions as to what that means but some of the other girls are not as circumspect. Your care and protection is why I am here and it has always been my most important task." The Head Housekeeper was wringing her hands a bit.

Anna was bright red, hiding behind her mug, her mind practically shut down. Elsa cut her eyes over to her but saw there would be no assistance from there and said, "Gerda, I have never lied to you. As you have guessed we are indeed together in that way. Will that be a problem?"

"I am not sure why you have done this but I am not one to question you. If this is what makes you happy then that's the way it is. I don't understand it but that's okay. The problem arises in terms of succession and the like, but I figure that is also your issue to deal with." Gerda's cheeks colored as she spoke, finding it difficult to meet their eyes.

Elsa sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. That was indeed an issue she had not taken into account. The needs of the country would need to be balanced in this as well. "I see. Thank you, Gerda, for stepping up to deal with this delicate issue. I am sorry we have placed you in this position."

"No bother Your Majesty." She curtsied to them. "I am always here to help."

Anna chimed in brightly, her color back to normal. "Don't worry Gerda, I'm sure that we will be able to figure out something to deal with this issue."

Gerda nodded her head and then left, with Elsa staring at her sister. Anna looked at her and said, "What?"

"We'll find a solution?" Elsa was just a touch incredulous.

"Sure. That way we won't have to worry about this anymore." Anna shrugged as if the whole matter were no big deal.

"And how do you propose to do this?" asked Elsa, really curious as to how Anna wanted to fix this whole mess.

With a smile, her sister said, "We could always ask the Love Experts?"

"The Trolls are far off and this is an issue in our face," countered Elsa.

"Then we'll do it ourselves," stated Anna, quite sure of herself.

"How?!" demanded Elsa.

"I don't know!" screamed Anna.

Elsa sighed, dropping her head to the table. "Oh Anna, what are we going to do?"


	8. Chapter 8

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

8

"We need to do something that gets everyone on our side," stated Anna forcefully.

Elsa rubbed her forehead. This whole issue was giving her a headache. "Anna, our love for each other saved the kingdom over the summer. Wouldn't you think that would have done it if anything would have?"

"Yeah, but you were the cause of it to start with so that would count against us." stated Anna. "Now, if you could lift this storm or perhaps use your power to help with things like the houses and the harbor that would be something that could get through to everybody."

"But how would that work to get people on our side about the fact that I love you and that you're my sister?" demanded Elsa, trying to figure out if Anna had fallen on her head one too many times.

"Well, you know how you were saying that nature is stronger than you are?"

"I do recall that," replied Elsa dryly.

"Well, what if you have a more visceral proof of my love. Would it make it easier for you to manage?" Anna smiled at her coyly.

Elsa blinked a few times at her sister, trying to make sense of this whole thing. Did Anna just suggest what she thought she did? "Do… do you mean to…?"

"Yep, in front of everybody." Anna beamed at her, so proud of her whole plan. "And I will be right there beside you so no fear. Together we can face and overcome anything. All we have is each other and that is more than enough."

Elsa remembered the last time she had heard Anna say those words and she fell into her sister's arms, starting to cry, her emotions crashing inside. Anna ran her fingers through her sister's unbound hair, a frown furrowing her brows. "Hey now, what's wrong love?"

"I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you when Momma and Poppa died. I was so afraid of hurting you again or hurting anyone else that I felt it would be for the best to stay locked away in my room. I cried for weeks on end, curled up against the door, waiting for you to come by because you were the only thing letting me know that I was still alive and that this grief hadn't fully consumed me. You were my lifeline. I worked so much harder after that, to control things, so I could finally see you again. I needed to see you again, especially after I heard you say that we only had each other." Elsa looked up at Anna with her tear stained face. She so desperately needed her love to understand and forgive her.

Anna leaned down and kissed Elsa on the forehead and then on the lips, her heart aching for her sister. "It's alright love. You told me about that part of your life and why you stayed in your room. I understand and it's over. You were trying to protect me because you loved me. I just wish I had known that. I would have been less angry with you sometimes. It had to have been so hard for you for so long but I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere."

"Just think it took a power mad lunatic and his Machiavellian scheme to take over our country for us to really find each other and see each other for who we really are." Elsa was a bit amused by that fact. Without Hans, things might not have fallen out this way. They might have danced around each other for years, eventually falling into marriages of convenience and missing out on their true love. It wasn't like this sort of thing happened every day.

"Ugh… don't mention him. I already said I was sorry for that." Anna shook her head, looking disgusted. "What was I thinking?"

"You were starved for love and he played you, sensing that. It could have happened to anyone." Elsa replied gently, trying to make Anna feel a little better.

Anna sighed. "I guess you're right." She leaned over and kissed Elsa, lingering a bit to cleanse her palate. "So what do you think of my plan?"

"I think your plan is absolutely insane," stated Elsa.

"Thank you. I am rather proud of it." beamed Anna, clearly pleased with that description.

Elsa was slightly aghast. "Proud of it? Anna, while yes I am absolutely positive that you kissing me would give me the burst of love needed to unfreeze most anything about that would completely ruin any concept of secrecy we could have utterly and completely. We would be totally exposed."

"That's the idea Elsa." Anna looked at her older sister like she was slow. Was this really that difficult of a concept to grasp? She knew Elsa was very smart but this seemed a bit odd. "All of Arendelle is in trouble because of this storm. Houses have fallen and more might fall tonight. We might not be able to get the shipment that is due to arrive in several days carrying food and other goods. This is not just affecting us. Tomorrow, we can go into town and see what we can do, together. If they ask why, we can explain that since true love was what unfroze me our true love for each other will help the kingdom as love thaws. It's simple."

Elsa shook her head. "This is going to turn out poorly."

With a frown at her sister's doubt in her cunning plan, Anna said, "Have some faith in our love."

"I do have faith in our love but Anna, I have a great deal of faith in our love but they could kill us for this," protested Elsa.

"Elsa, you're their Queen, it's not going to happen," countered Anna.

"How do you know?"

"Because I believe in us! The Trolls were talking about how powerful love is so let's use that to save Arendelle and free us from this life of secrecy."

Elsa leaned back from the table and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to comfort herself. "I… I have no idea how you can trust something as vague as 'love is powerful'."

Anna got up and moved around the table, crouching by Elsa's chair and pealing her hands away from her sides to hold them in her own. Catching her sisters eyes and holding them, Anna said, "Elsa, listen to me. I can trust in something as vague as 'love is powerful' for the very same reason I knew that the sister who never opened her door or talked to me loved me like I loved her."

Elsa started crying and hugged Anna tightly, leaning down to kiss her. Anna happily and hungrily returned the kiss. She stood, breaking the kiss after a little bit. "Come on love. It's late and we need to be ready when daylight is here."

Anna stepped in front of her sister and began to undo the laces of her bodice. Elsa preferred a tied bodice as it had a better look and Anna had to agree. As she tugged the bodice open, she leaned in and kissed Elsa gently, her own eyes closing as she loved the feel of Elsa's skin on her own. She was glad that Elsa had chosen to wear a bunad when she had changed after coming in as they looked wonderful on her and were easy to remove. Not as easy as the ice dress, but that was part of the fun. Once the bodice was loosened, the overdress was pushed down, leaving her standing there in her chemise. Her sister had long ago removed the tights and shoes as had she.

Taking her turn, Elsa unbuttoned Anna's bunad, slipping each silver button free. Once it was loosened, it too joined hers on the floor of the room. Now, clad only in their undergarments the two of them climbed into bed. Elsa began to kiss Anna's throat, making her sister moan appreciatively, "Yeah that right there, that'll convince everybody what we mean to each other."

Elsa pulled back and frowned at her smirking sister. "It bet you think you're funny."

Anna reached up, slipping a hand behind Elsa's head, "I am funny and you are amazingly beautiful."

With a little effort, Anna pulled Elsa back down to her lips and they resumed kissing, it growing deeper and more passionate as it went. Pausing briefly, Anna murmured breathily, "I love you Elsa."

Elsa ran a hand up Anna's back and slid it to the front, brushing it across one of Anna's breasts, one finger catching slightly on an erect nipple. "I love you Anna."

There was no more talking that night.


	9. Chapter 9

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

9

It was with some degree of trepidation that the girls set out for the Mayor's Hall that morning. What they hoped to do today would hopefully fix things between them and the people of Arendelle, so that there would be no anger towards them for being in love. They had no idea if it would work but even Elsa had to agree that at this point and with this storm it had the best chance of succeeding. It was a risk that could blow up in their faces but the potential rewards were worth it.

After the trudge through the snow to the building, they clasped hands and shared a look that spoke of their love and faith in each other just before opening the door and walking in. The Captain was the first to react to their presence, snapping to attention, "Your Majesty. Your Highness."

"Gentlemen. I noticed that the storm has still not abated. If memory serves this has been this has been the most intense storm to have hit our shores in a decade. Has there been any further damage?" asked Elsa, looking at their faces and noticing how strained they were.

The Mayor spoke up. It was quite evident as to how hard he was working during this crisis and if Elsa were able to provide him with any relief she would as she liked him and his wife. "Yes your Majesty. Four houses collapsed last night. Another one today. This wet snow is making removal difficult as it is very heavy and doesn't want to slide when we try to clear the roofs. I have had men working as hard as they can and we haven't been able to get ahead of this. They are also near their breaking point as we have been struggling hard to save as many houses as we can before the weight of the snow takes them."

Elsa nodded. She had been aware that the situation had been bad but this really was dire. This meant that seven or eight families already had their homes destroyed and more were likely to fall, possibly some of the older ones. No, she and Anna needed to do this and not just for themselves but for their people. "I see. Well gentlemen, because of how grave this situation is I am going to try to lift the snow like I did over the summer."

This immediately got their attention and cheered up the lot of them, relief showing on a number of faces. A few seemed to understand that there was more coming however and had no change on their faces as they waited for her to finish.

"The problem is that this storm is powerful, as we all know, and between the cold, the snowfall and the wind I am not sure if I will be able to do this." admitted Elsa.

"But… but this summer," protested one of the merchant representatives. At this point she wasn't exactly sure. If she remembered correctly he was in the cloth trade? No matter.

"That was all my creation this summer and the actual weather was helping with the removal. No, this is a very different thing gentlemen. Removing snow or ice I make is something I can do with but a thought. This… this however will be a challenge because of the many factors working against me while I do this."

"Should you work small, doing this multiple times instead of all at once? Perhaps that will make that easier on you?" asked the Harbormaster, an eminently practical man.

"My guess is that if I do that, which is a perfectly logical suggestion, I will tire before I get enough of the city done to really take care of things to the degree that they need done. No, I will need to stand in the city square and make this attempt in one go to best serve Arendelle." Elsa was aware that this was not going to be easy and that this plan of hers and Anna's had better work or things could get ugly and fast. "Also, you are aware that true love is what thawed Princess Anna, correct?"

The gentlemen shifted uncomfortably. This was obviously a topic that they did not think of much. Again the Harbormaster jumped in, "Yes, we are aware your Majesty. It was the true love between you and your sister that allowed her to thaw."

"Well that love also fuels my power to thaw the snow. The true love she and I share will allow me to make this happen." Elsa prayed that this was going to work. Anna had assured her that saying things in this way would do the trick and as she had more experience with people than Elsa did, which granted, was still not much but it was something, she was going to put her trust in her.

"Wait, what?" said the Mayor.

"You heard what I said; the true love she and I share will allow me to thaw Arendelle. Now let's go. I want to make this attempt before I change my mind or more houses are lost. Are we ready gentlemen?" Elsa calmly stood there next to Anna as the councilmen prepared themselves. She had hoped that by pressing the need for immediacy that she could drive them to action over thought.

The Bishop had already thrown his cloak over his shoulders and came over to the pair, bowing gracefully. "Your Majesty, may we speak in private later this afternoon?"

"Certainly your Excellency. I am at your disposal." This worried her. If the Bishop turned on her then nothing they did would be able to fix this issue. She couldn't imagine him being on her side so she was at a loss as to what he wanted to speak to her about, except for this. Her nervousness grew and she began to wring her hands slightly.

Once they were all ready the whole group of them moved out into the central square. There wasn't a crowd gathering because it was so cold but there were some people out and about who stopped what they were doing to watch and figure out what was happening. Anna and Elsa got into position in the center of the square and took each other's hands. They looked in each other's eyes and Elsa could see the love and devotion there which helped to settle some of her nerves. It really was amazing how much of a calming effect Anna had on her. Keeping their voices low to avoid being overheard, Anna said, "Did you want me to kiss you now or did you want to try to do this first and I can kiss you if you seem to be struggling."

"Let me try first and help out if needed." Elsa smiled at her faintly. "That way the kiss would be put in greater context."

"Okay Elsa." Anna tightened her grip and gave that smile that only seemed to her. "Just so you know, I love you and nothing and no one can and will ever change that."

Elsa smiled at her and she could feel that smile warm her. The love her sister had for her was so multilayered and complex that it really could take hold and fuel the warmth inside that she needed to thaw things. Anna made Elsa actually feel loved, something she had been without for so long and then had returned to her life in the most unexpected way imaginable. Of all the partners she had ever thought she was going to end up with Anna had never really been one of them despite being one of her constant thoughts. However, they were together and that had made a world of difference to Elsa and now it was time to demonstrate to everyone else just how big that difference was and how much it could affect the rest of the world.

She closed her eyes, her arms down at her sides, reaching out and feeling the snow and ice under her feet, about the courtyard, on the roofs, the streets, in the air, in the harbor, in the heavy press of clouds above them like a vast weight looming overhead. Elsa concentrated, remembering that she was only going to be lifting the snow from the roofs and some from the streets. That was all, nothing too crazy like she had done over the summer and had lifted all the massive effects of her fear and panic at once. She and Anna had talked about this and felt that at the moment it would be the best use of her power to merely deal with the one issue. If it worked then tomorrow she could try to thaw the harbor. If they were lucky the storm could has passed by then, making it an easier task.

Once she could feel that her power had seeped into all the snow and ice she wanted it to, she began to lift her arms. She kept her eyes closed to hold her concentration to the task at hand as the gasps from a number of people were almost too much of a distraction to what she was doing. She had moved and manipulated snow before, but it had never been like this. The storm was pressing down against her, every flake that hit every roof and patch of street adding to what she was trying to accomplish. Her face clenched in concentration as she lifted her arms some more, her limbs visibly trembling under the exertion.

Anna saw this and realized that Elsa needed her or this would not work and might cause more issues than it had solved by dropping snow back onto already strained roofs. Stepping up in front of her sister, just like the two of them had talked about, Anna said quite clearly and in a voice that made it clear that it was a more romantic feeling, "Elsa, I love you."

That emotional surge from just hearing those words helped Elsa lift the load some more, her arms rising higher, and prepared her for the next part so she wouldn't be shocked into dropping anything. When it happened there was an audible gasp from those around the square who were watching this but Elsa could barely tell that the rest of the world was there. All she knew was her task and the love of her sister.

When Anna's lips pressed against hers, there was a surge of warmth in the square that was more akin to summer than the current season. The warmth bathed the two of them as the kiss deepened and despite the growing press of the storm Elsa was able to finish raising her arms and dissipated the snow with a flick of her wrists. Anna let her go and beamed at her, the pride in her face over what Elsa had done so clearly evident. Their plan had worked and then had moved the snow. Elsa grinned and then it faded as her eyes rolled back in her head before she collapsed to the ground.


	10. Chapter 10

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

10

It was to a throbbing head and some nausea that Elsa awoke to. She felt so weak, so heavy, like all the comforters in the palace had been piled on top of her and she couldn't move. Everything hurt and she couldn't recall why. The world felt like it was spinning just a touch and she didn't like that either. There was something wet and cool on her forehead and there was a warmth holding her hand, the only part of this whole mess that gave her any comfort. She groaned and then regretted it as the sound rattled in her head making things worse.

"Oh Elsa!" Anna's voice was off to the side, heavy with tears and the sound of relief.

She really didn't feel good. But just knowing her sister was there was enough to give her a ghost of a smile, "Shhh…"

Elsa swallowed thickly, as the sound gave her another wave of vertigo. Anna tightened her grip and moved closer so Elsa could see her face. Anna looked so tired but her face was animated as she said, "I'm so happy you're awake. Dr. Ersland said that you probably fainted because of exhaustion and would probably be feeling rather weak because of it. I have some broth and such here for you, to help you gain the strength to have a full meal. He said all you need is food and rest as nature will do the rest."

Elsa made a simple sound of acceptance that didn't hurt too much. And nature had done enough to her thank you very much.

Anna helped to prop Elsa up in the bed, keeping her tucked in under the blankets to keep her plenty warm. She grabbed a bowl and spoon that were on a nearby table and began to feed Elsa. The broth was rather bland and Elsa felt a bit silly needing this much help from Anna, but as she had more spoonfuls of broth she began to remember their mother doing this for her the several times she had been really sick during her self-imposed exile. Her mother had tried her hardest to be there for her but because of how scared Elsa had been of hurting anyone she had driven everyone away, too afraid that she might hurt the ones she loved like she had hurt Anna. Being so sick that she had been confined to bed and getting nursed to health was one of the few times she and her mother had been close after that. Elsa had secretly cherished those times, no matter her fears.

As the tears began to fall, sliding from the corners of Elsa's eyes, Anna put the spoon back in the bowl and set it down on the night stand. She looked at her sister rather concerned. "What's wrong Elsa?"

"I was just thinking about Momma." Elsa said as she sniffled, trying to get the tears to stop. She was too tired to be crying.

"What about?" Anna was at a loss here.

"Remember how I told you that I drove everyone away because I was scared that I would hurt them like I had you?" asked Elsa, her voice weak and cracking a little with her emotions.

"Yeah," answered Anna slowly, unsure where this was going.

"Well I stayed in my room pretty much all the time, as you know, or I made secret late night trips to the library or at times I knew you were out in the garden. Or the few times I met with my tutor who I wouldn't have minded hurting half the time. But anyway, I never saw anyone if I could help it. That's what my life was like, except when I was sick. I would wake up, like this, all bundled in bed with Momma sitting pretty much where you are, holding my hand, feeding me broth and singing to me, you know that silly song she liked about the reindeer. Having you help me like this reminded me so much of her that it hurts." More tears trailed down Elsa's face.

Anna leaned in and wiped Elsa's face with a handkerchief. "It's okay Elsa. I miss her too. And the reason I was doing this is that's what Momma did for me as well. I thought that was what you did for the ones you loved."

"Oh Anna, I love you." said Elsa, her voice overflowing with emotion.

"I love you too. Now try to eat some more broth. You gave me a real scare this morning," stated Anna.

"This morning? What time is it?" asked Elsa, somewhat confused.

"It's evening. You have been unconsciousness for most of the day. At first they kept me away but the Doctor noticed your color improved when I got closer. He said it didn't make sense to him but then again you could control ice and snow, so what did her know about anything. After that I never left your side," explained Anna with a gentle smile. "That reaction of yours to me apparently had a similar impact to our work at clearing the snow."

"Did it work?" asked Elsa nervously. She didn't recall enough of what had happened afterwards to know what had happened or if she had succeeded in what she had attempted.

Anna nodded, spooning another bit of broth into her sister's mouth. "It did indeed. You cleared all of Arendelle there at the end, including the palace, all the roofs, streets, and a few other things as well. And the city square… well right before you fell it looked more like a summer's day and it was quite warm. So, we succeeded in impressing them on that end, that's for sure."

Elsa swallowed and could feel a little of her strength beginning to return. And with it her appetite was growing. "That's good. Is there any actual food here?"

Anna snickered and brought over a piece of dark bread with butter on it. "Do you want me to dunk it in the broth first?"

Elsa bit her lip. On the one hand that was good and would make the dense bread a bit softer but on the other hand it seemed so childish. Deciding to go with ease of eating, she nodded her head. After dipping it, Anna made sure it wasn't dripping broth before she brought it to Elsa's waiting lips.

It was delicious. Between the mix of flavors it tasted so good. Anna gave her a few more bites and a few more spoonfuls of broth before she felt strong enough to ask for the spoon and bowl herself. She really wanted to take over eating herself as it would make her feel less like an invalid. While she ate Anna softly that reindeer song that their mother had always sang them, making them both smile and have tears gather at the corners of their eyes. After a little bit of that, she looked over at Anna and blushed a little as she asked, "Is there more food?"

Chuckling slightly, Anna said, "Just a minute. Let me get Gerda."

Once she opened the door she looked down the hall and there was Gerda, sitting on a chair in the hall and waiting worriedly, her hands fidgeting through a handkerchief. Anna smiled and nodded, answering the Head Housekeepers questions and then asked, "Her Majesty would like some real food if you please Gerda."

Elsa could hear the laughter from where she was. She smiled. This was a good thing. So she had actually done it, actually lifted the snow off Arendelle while this monster storm still raged overhead. There was little wonder why she had passed out then, even with the support Anna gave her, and she had to admit that it was a lot of support. She had felt so loved at that moment she thought she could do anything with her powers. Apparently fighting against massive storms might be just outside of those abilities but even then she succeeded in what she had set out to do.

Anna came back in, "Never fear Elsa, Gerda is going to bring you a real meal and she promised you a nice warm mug of hot chocolate. She let me know that everyone is abuzz about what you did and how we did it and why it works that way. Believe it or not, Gerda is proud of us. She said it took great courage to let everyone know about the two of us in such a public manner. And she said that everyone on the staff will be overjoyed to hear that you are feeling better. Apparently you have never been more popular than you are right now."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "That's just what I needed, I kiss my sister in front of the whole town council and then pass out and _that_ makes me popular."

With a smirk, Anna said, "You forgot passed out in my arms. That's the important part. It makes me sound like such the kisser."


	11. Chapter 11

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

11

Waking up warm and snuggled in Anna's arms was far better than the last time she had woken. This was one of her favorite places and she could happily remain here all day if she had the option. But that wasn't the case and now that she felt better there were things to be done. She felt stronger than a kitten for one and she felt far more able to deal with the world than she had last night. Maybe fighting directly against a storm was not a good plan and should be avoided.

Crawling out of the bed after she had extricated herself from Anna's arms, Elsa padded across the room and looked out the window and noticed the storm was still going though from what she could tell it might be letting up some, she wasn't completely sure. What she could tell is that the city was in far less danger than it had been in before she and Anna had done what they had done. By reducing the weight of snow pressing down on buildings they ensured that there would be more homes left standing at the end of this. Now if only she were able to have a nice calm day to fully recover then everything would be better.

That's when she remembered, the Bishop wanted to talk to her. Elsa groaned in annoyance. She so did not need this. All she wanted was to rest, so she could feel better, stronger, not play political games with the head of Arendelle's church. However, she was a queen and it wasn't like she really got the option to actually rest. The needs of her country beckoned and she had to address them in order for her people to weather this disaster safely. She had let them down once already and she had vowed to never do that again. Going to speak with the Bishop and finding out just what it was that he wanted to talk about was just something she needed to do, whether she desired to or not. She was the Queen and it had been something she had learned long ago that duty came before desire.

Warm arms slid around her waist, holding her tight and pulling her backwards a touch, "Good morning love. You seem pensive."

Elsa chuckled, "That's a rather big word Anna."

"I studied, hush. Now what's troubling you?" Anna leaned her head down and kissed Elsa on her neck. "I could tell something was bothering you all the way from the bed."

"That far, hunh? I just realized that I need to talk to the Bishop today and I'm worried. I have no idea about what he has to say or what he wants to talk about. I am afraid he wants to talk about us and that scares me more than anything else," admitted Elsa, glad that her sister was there and holding her.

"Do you want me to be there with you?" asked Anna, hugging her sister tighter to show her support.

"No it will be okay. I am sure I can handle one meeting with him, regardless the topic. I should at least find out what it is that he wants to talk about. And even if it is about us I am sure I can buy us some time to speak with him and work things out." Elsa leaned back against her shorter sister, not worried about falling because Anna was the stronger of the two.

"Well, if it is about us, then just remember that I am always there for you no matter what anyone says." Anna gave her a quick squeeze to punctuate her words.

Elsa smiled and turned in Anna's arms, leaning in to kiss her. When she pulled away, she looked lovingly into Anna's eyes and said, "I always remember that Snowflake. I love you."

"I love you too Elsa. Now let's get ready. I promised the doctor that you would rest well and then have a hearty breakfast. I don't want to be lax in my care for you." Anna looked very serious as she said that.

"You take wonderful care of me Anna." Elsa was very happy to admit that and she knew that it was the truth and had been the truth for a long time.

"Thanks, now come on, the day awaits!"

A short while later that the girls were in the dining room eating their breakfast. Anna kept insisting that Elsa have more than she usually had which was amusing to the Queen. She was being so well cared for right now that it made her feel good. Watching her sister care for her told her just how worried she had been when Elsa had fainted and she was glad that Anna had been there for her. Once the meal was finished, they parted ways with Anna going to check on their guests and Elsa headed for her office. Before the Bishop arrived she might be able to get some work done that had been delayed because of this emergency.

One of the maids brought her some coffee and she sipped at her cup as she went through various documents, primarily new trade agreements. She pulled up one and almost splurted out her coffee over everything. Weselton had sent an agreement to resume political relations as well as trade. Was the Duke that big of an idiot? Did he think that she had forgotten in this short of time that he had sent two of his henchmen up the mountain to kill her? Her men had gotten that information out of them before they had been released. Or that he had supported Hans's grab for power so long as it meant that he got a cut of the pie? She rubbed her forehead, trying to stave off a growing headache. He must think her nothing more than a silly woman with naught but fluff in her head.

There was a knock at the door and she looked up, thankful for the diversion before she simply decided a war was a perfectly legitimate response to Weselton's actions. Anything would be better than dealing with this nonsense. She put the document aside and asked, "Yes?"

"Your Majesty, His Excellency Bishop Trygstad."

Maybe not.

"Come in your Excellency," said Elsa, masking her nervousness as best she could. She had years of practice and she needed it all right now. "Coffee?"

"Thank you your Majesty." The Bishop inclined his head politely.

Elsa nodded and the person at the door came in and poured the Bishop a cup and handed it over to the man. Once he left, closing the door behind him and leaving them in privacy, the Queen said, "So, you said yesterday that you wished to speak with me?"

"Yes your Majesty. I must say I was surprised with the revelation about you and your sister." He smiled at her.

"And what is the Churches position on this matter?" asked Elsa, very proud that she managed to keep her voice steady. She decided to cut through the pleasantries and get to the heart of the matter. She was too tired for social fencing.

The Bishop took a sip of his coffee and sat back looking at her calmly. "There is an unspoken acknowledgement from the Church that magic and certain aspects of the world… complicate the simplicity of Gods design. The only people we speak of this with are generally the rulers of various states and kingdoms as it makes interactions… easier in certain situations. There have been occasional issues with this acknowledgement, such as in France, but on the whole the Papacy realizes that certain facts cannot be argued with and thus must be a part of the Lord's design."

"What facts?" Elsa asked hesitantly, wondering where he was going with this.

"Well, True Love for one. The power of True Love and True Loves kiss is well known as it overrides many powerful curses for which there are no other cures. That means that the Church is aware that for all intents and purposes True Love is sacrosanct." He smiled at her gently.

Elsa rocked back, shocked. This was perhaps the last thing she had ever expected to ever hear from a leader of the church. "Does that mean…?"

"The Church has no issue with your relationship as the power of True Love is greater than any mortal law, even those of the Church. We consider such a thing a sign of Divine Grace and that the Lord approves the pairing in question. Who are we to doubt the Lord's will?" The Bishop seemed somewhat amused by the Queen's increasingly disbelieving face. His smile showed that clearly.

Elsa was on the edge of tears but she struggled to keep it together for the sake of the conversation. "So Anna and I can…"

"Yes. And I will support you both against whatever befalls you. The only concern that will exist is an heir. The people will expect one and you have an obligation to Arendelle to provide one. However there is still time. You are barely into your reign so there is some leeway to work out how this can be managed."

Elsa nodded, her mind awhirl with this new data. "That had been on my mind as well. Thank you for this your Excellency. You have taken a great burden from my shoulders."

"Magic and such, including True Love is an undeniable fact of the world, your Majesty, as your own powers so dramatically show. The Church has had to be practical in regards to it," he noted.

There was another knock at the door, but this one was a bit more frantic than earlier. Elsa called out, "Come in."

"Your Majesty, the Harbormaster has sent a frantic message to the palace. Your presence is required in town as soon as you can manage."

Elsa rose to her feet, "I apologize your Excellency, it seems as if I must head into town to find out what this latest emergency is." She turned to the messenger and said, "Let Princess Anna know I have headed into town and that I may need her assistance later."

"Yes your Majesty."


	12. Chapter 12

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

12

Elsa headed across the bridge and towards the building where the Harbormaster worked that sat overlooking the area. Why he was there was beyond her, especially given that the fjord was frozen but if this was important than she had better get there and deal with it before anymore frantic messages. The wind wasn't as bad as it had been the past several days nor was the snowfall as heavy. That made her happy. In her mind this wasn't that terrible a day, but then again she was rather partial to winter weather so it wasn't a fair comparison. Perhaps this storm was fading but if that was the case then what was the emergency? Were the ships in trouble? She knew that it was a possibility with the bitter cold that others had been complaining about and given the importance of their fleet for both trade and fishing this would be a worse tragedy than the ruined houses. Saving their ships would be important.

Upon reaching the building, she knocked briefly and entered into a maelstrom of activity. She noted that there were people rushing about and she wondered what that was about as she moved away from the doorway to ensure she was in no one's way. The Harbormaster noted her presence and called out with some degree of relief in his voice, "Your Majesty, thank you for coming. We desperately need your help."

Elsa's eyes widened. Need? Seriously? This did not bode well. "What is going on?"

"The glass dropped, dropped a lot. I'm not sure you know what that means but basically this storm was just the start of things. Something big is coming and we have to prepare for a monster storm. It is probably going to hit us shortly and I am grateful that we managed to get some warning before hand, but we haven't much time. Is there any way that you can thaw the harbor?" The look on his face drove home everything that he was saying.

It was clear that the man was quite frantic even though he was working calmly and efficiently. This was clearly not hyperbole and thus action needed to be taken immediately. The queen set her resolve and said, "Do you have someone who can go to the palace and fetch my sister?"

"Yes. You, Dieter, run to the palace and get the Princess," snapped out the man, gesturing with a flip of his hand.

"What else is needed?" asked Elsa, wanting to ensure that everything was being done to prepare for this.

"I have already informed the council, so they are going to ensure that everyone is secure in their houses, that there is nothing loose that can be picked and thrown into things y strong winds. If we can get the harbor thawed then it is likely that the ships will not be too damaged when the storm surge hits." The Harbormaster kept glancing at between the barometer and the window. "I am trying to think of other things we can do to prepare, but the city isn't my problem."

"Do we have much time?" asked Elsa worriedly, noting the man's sense of urgency.

"Well, the wind hasn't really started up yet, so we have some time but not much. The sooner things are accomplished the better off we are going to be."

"I guess I should try and get started then. If you can think of something else you need me to do then let me know." Elsa stood, brushed her cloak smooth and headed towards one of the piers. She walked out along it, the wind still fair, already starting to work. She looked at the ice, the winds blowing some of the snow about the surface. In a way this would be easier than dealing with the snow had been, as she didn't have to lift anything. All she had to do was shift the temperature of the water and that should take care of things. Thawing the ice wouldn't be nearly the task that clearing the snow had been, but again it was a lot of ice and it wasn't of her creation. Thankfully sea water wasn't partial to freezing and did not have to be made that warm to effect major change.

She shook her head, trying to clear that thought. What she needed to be thinking about of right now wasn't negative things like that, she needed to think about Anna, the love she felt for her and the love Anna shared with her. That change in thinking could be felt, as she began to grow warm in her heart, her stomach, and it spread through her body. What was even better was the fact that, according to the Bishop, they could be together without any issues thanks to the way the Church saw True Love. Granted, without that it would surely be condemned but they did have a True Love that all could see and feel. Sure there might be some issues from other avenues and there would always be detractors but the major threat to their happiness had vanished which she still had to tell Anna about. Their life really was beginning, their happiness coming to pass. Now all she had to do was keep her kingdom safe and everything would be fine.

She stretched her power out into the ice and felt it stretch through the harbor and into the water below. Letting her mind drift to kisses she had shared with Anna, to heated touches, to passionate nights where they had explored each other with hands, fingers, lips, tongues, with gasps, with groans, with full body moans that shook out from the core, with whispered promises of eternity in each other's arms. Those visceral expressions of love that they had shared drove deeply into her heart just how much Anna loved her. How could Elsa doubt what Anna felt for her when it was in the girl's words, her touch, her glances, in everything that was her? All those years they had spent apart, all the fear of hurting anyone, of exposure, all the depression driving her deeper into herself, all the panic keeping her sealed away in her false safety and all because she was so afraid to hurt her sister again she had locked herself apart from the world. But all that had been washed away in Anna's love and while she could still feel the stirrings of those emotions she had the strength of her sister to face it all.

The love she was feeling was a strong and powerful thing, it was something she could feel tingling through her fingers, charging her power. Reaching out across the water, fingers spread wide she started to hear the ice groan and then crack, the ships shuddering a little as they were slipping free from where they had been encased by the freeze bobbing free on the water. She kept pushing her power out, eyes dancing across the water to make sure that she was taking care of the entirety of the harbor, leaving no ice undisturbed. When she could see or feel nothing else in the water she let her arms drop with a sigh of accomplishment.

Before she had a chance to do anything else a pair of arms wrapped around her, snuggling against her. "Your power is just so amazing. I don't think I can ever tell you that enough. I love you Elsa."

Elsa leaned her head against one of Anna's hands, content in that moment. "I love you too Anna."

Looking out over the fjord, Elsa started noting changes to the way the clouds looked as well as the water making her frown and could feel the frown growing deeper as more things registered to her eyes. "Anna come on. We need to go see the Harbormaster."

Elsa took her sister's hand and the two jogged towards the harbor building. Elsa burst in to the building and asked without preamble, "We don't have much time, what else do you want done?"

The man looked up, glanced out the window and frowned even more, deepening the lines on his face to veritable canyons. "I don't suppose your ice can make an emergency retaining wall to soften the storm surge?"

She gave him a look stating, are you serious. Her ice did what she wanted it to do. All she needed was direction and she could make most anything happen. "What do you need and where do you need it?"

Pulling out a map of the harbor the man indicated an arc across the front of the harbor some distance out. "If you can make it here, several feet thick and a few feet taller than the water line, attached to the wall somehow an all the way down to the fjord floor than the harbor should survive perfectly intact. Then all the potential damage we'll get is just from the wind and whatever surprises this storm has in store for us."

Taking Anna's hand, the two of them ran out to one of the shorter piers. Once reaching the end, Elsa faced outwards and spoke over her shoulder, "Can you hug me from behind?"

Anna slipped her arms around Elsa and whispered into her sister's ear. "You can do this Elsa. I believe in you."

Patting the joined hands that were resting over her abdomen, Elsa smiled and then focused on the harbor entrance. This was farther than she usually did her work but she was certain she could manage it without too much trouble. Her power surged out, breathing across the water and then slammed into the slight waves. The ice dropped down and then stretched back to the wall and latched on. She could feel it solidify and set, conforming to her will. The retaining wall took shape and stood white and rime covered against the grey waves. Her smile faltered however when the wind pitched up suddenly. Elsa said worriedly, "Let's go Anna. We don't want to be here."


	13. Chapter 13

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

13

"What do you think we have in store with this?" worriedly asked Anna the Harbor Master as the wind rattled the shutters.

"First off this wind is going to get stronger, a lot stronger. My guess is that we are looking at a gale. I am not sure it we are going to get rain, snow or worst of all sleet. Sleet driven by a strong wind will be devastating. With these temperatures, the sleet will cover everything thickly in ice which is worse than snow. The storm surge has been taken care of so the chance of flooding due to that is reduced thankfully." commented the man, scowling as he glanced towards the fjord. "This is just the start and it will keep getting worse. You two should quickly get back to the palace before this hits making it almost impossible. If either of you gets hurt either the Captain of the Guard would hurt me or your Spymaster would make me disappear. I would rather that not happen."

Elsa snickered, "That is amusing but likely true. I won't let them hurt you for being diligent in your service. Now, do you have anyone who can escort us in case we need some assistance?"

He chuckled, a rumbling sound in his chest and turned to face the Queen and her sister. "I do indeed. He should be here momentarily."

There was a knock at the door and it opened slowly. A familiar head popped in, "Did someone call for an escort?"

Anna squealed and threw herself at the man, "Kristoff!"

Elsa shook her head in amusement at her sister's reaction. You would thing she hadn't seen him in months or something. "Thank you sir. You have chosen our escort well."

"You just get back safely and it will all be well." The Harbor master said. "We need to be getting home ourselves, as this building is no place to be during a winter gale."

Kristoff set Anna down. "We should get going. Sven's outside to help. He is demanding carrots as payment however. I'm just happy to help of course but you know how Sven is."

Anna nodded, understanding what Kristoff was saying. "I think there may be some in the kitchens. We should get going."

The wind was gusting strong as they exited the building, threatening to knock the slight girls over. Anna pulled her cloak tight about her hoping to trap some of the warmth they had left in. Sven walked on the windward side of the group, blocking things somewhat, making it easier for them all to move against this. While Anna had worked an arm free and was holding onto the reindeer for safety, Elsa was looking up at the clouds. Despite the time of day the clouds that hung heavy about them were dark, roiling and starting to cast Arendelle into premature night. The wind kept driving harder to the point where Kristoff had to help Elsa continue moving forward, as the wind kept trying to shove her off onto her side.

"Keep moving forward!" called out Kristoff, his strong voice carrying over the noise of the wind.

Sven grunted and dragged Anna a bit, his hooves finding purchase in the packed down snow. They were making good progress when a wall of sleet slammed into them, stinging exposed skin. "Gah!"

Elsa focused as she was getting hit and used her power to surround the group of them with a field that stopped the sleet, turning it to rain instead but did nothing to stop the growing gale. They were getting soaked but it certainly hurt less than the icy sleet hitting them. Kristoff said, "Thanks. Keep going!"

They were crossing the bridge with Anna clutching onto Sven, fistfuls of fur tight in her hands, her feet occasionally slipping on the growing patches of ice. Kristoff was almost carrying Elsa as the storm grew in strength as the Queen was busy concentrating on keeping them free of ice and struggling to keep them from freezing as they got drenched in this downpour. They reached the palace gates and Kristoff set Elsa next to Anna before he pounded on the gates, yelling, "Open up! The Queen needs entrance!"

Opening widely, the group of them was ushered in swiftly by some guardsmen. Now in the somewhat protected courtyard, they hustled across as the wind roared, the full force of the storm slamming into Arendelle at last. The gusts and swirls of the wind nearly tore Anna from Sven and make Elsa topple. When they made it into the palace, the maids were there with towels to help them dry off, for which they were all thankful. Elsa looked at the Seneschal, realizing that she still had her duty before her needs and asked, "Are all the shutters taken care of?"

"Of course your Majesty. We have taken all the necessary precautions you can imagine prior to this. One of the cooks is familiar with weather reading and guessed what might happen, prodding the staff to get prepared just in case." He bowed to her. "I didn't tell you because it seemed a harmless guess."

"That's perfectly fine and in fact probably did us some good," said Elsa. "And our guests?"

"They are fine."

The sound of the storm grew stronger and the shutters rattled heavily. With a bright look of realization, Anna turned to Elsa, "We should do something for the children as this is bound to scare them."

Elsa nodded, seeing the logic behind her sister's request. "Is Olaf inside?"

"Yes your Majesty," responded one of the maids.

"Perhaps we should have them gather in the Great Hall. If we give them Hot Chocolate and keep them occupied then perhaps this storm will not scare them as much?" suggested Anna, remembering her own days when storms would hit the palace and how scary the slamming shutters could be.

"You just want some Hot Chocolate," teased Elsa.

"Well, it was cold out there," half whined Anna, pouting slightly.

Kristoff snickered some and then had the wisdom to stop and look as if he hadn't been doing anything of the sort when Anna turned to glare at him. He failed even more when he asked, "What?"

"Let's go. Anna, do you need to change?" asked Elsa.

The girl in question looked down at her clothes and scrunched up her face in thought. "That might be a good plan as I can probably fill a bucket with what has soaked into this. Perhaps we can get some lunch in as well?"

Gerda nodded, saying, "I'll get someone right on that your Highness."

Elsa turned to Kristoff, with a slight look of concern on her face, "You are staying right?"

Just then a really powerful gust of wind shook things, the shutters banging loudly. Kristoff made a worried face and said, "I think that may be for the best. Besides, Sven is probably in the stables already and he would hate to get out in this again. Besides, wet reindeer smells."

"We will see you in the dining room then. I am sure that there is a change of clothes that might fit you somewhere." Elsa and Anna headed upstairs.

Once they were in their bedroom and the door safely closed, Anna turned and threw herself into Elsa's arms, their wet dresses pressing coldly against them. "Oh Elsa, you were so magnificent. I can't believe that you actually did that all by yourself."

Coloring some under the praise, Elsa said, "Ah… well you helped… a lot actually."

"I did?" Anna moved back with a look of surprise on her face. It was clear that she had no idea what she could have done to help her older sister.

The blush deepened as Elsa stammered out, "Well… uhm… yes… you see… I… well, I was thinking about you, us, uhm…"

Anna grinned and hugged her again. "That's wonderful."

"Also you should know that the Bishop supports us," said Elsa, smiling as she waited for the response.

"He does?" Anna was stunned by this revelation.

Elsa nodded, pleased by the reaction. "It's true. I was almost speechless when he said that to me. Apparently True Love trumps everything, even this. So if nothing else the Church supports us."

Anna teared up a little, the surge of emotions playing across her face. "We can be together and not worry? Really?"

"Well, there are still going to be some issues because people do frown on this. But at least we know that the Church will not be coming after us and inciting discontent among the people." Elsa came up and kissed Anna gently.

"That's a great relief." Anna sighed and some tension relaxed from her shoulders.

"There is one problem though." Elsa was a bit nervous about broaching this topic but it was important.

"Wait, what?" Anna looked like she was trying to figure out what the issue could be. Hadn't they dealt with the big one?

"Well… what he said was that regardless of our relationship there was still the necessity of an heir." Elsa looked at Anna a bit shyly, wondering what her sister would think about that.

Anna blinked a few times, clearly processing all of that. "An heir?"

Elsa nodded. "An heir."

"Uhm Elsa? Won't that be a problem? I mean, we're girls," offered Anna hesitantly. "I mean, I don't know everything but mother did give me the talk."

Struggling to avoid rolling her eyes, Elsa said, "That is rather clear, especially from how your bunad is clinging to you."

Anna looked around worriedly as if someone might be listening in to what they were saying despite their being alone in the room, "Are we going to ask the Trolls for help?"

"The Trolls?"

"Well, they are the Love experts. Otherwise we would need a man to make that happen and who would we use… Kristoff?" Anna looked at Elsa with disbelief clear on her face.

Both girls looked at each other and started chuckling. Elsa said, "That's all we would need, a king who talks to Reindeer."

"I think it would be adorable," protested Anna, defending her friend.

"Of course you would."


	14. Chapter 14

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

A/N: Sorry it took so long. Health issues abound, delaying things. Enjoy.

The Storm

14

The girls giggled a little when they saw Kristoff walk into the dining room for lunch which made him look at them questioningly. "What?"

Anna colored some, needing to look away and Elsa, who was better able to retain her composure thanks to years of practice, replied calmly, "Nothing to concern yourself over Kristoff. I see they managed to find you some clothes."

"Yes. Apparently a few of your guardsmen are my size. That was nice. My clothes can take a while to dry when they are that soaked," commented Kristoff as he had some coffee. "It's actually the only real downside to that outfit."

Anna had to keep looking down because she was still struggling to hold in her giggles, which was not helping matters. The whole notion she and Elsa had discussed about Kristoff was just too… well funny to be honest. Thankfully the sounds of the storm managed to drown out her quiet titters as the wind had not slaked any. If anything the power of it had only grown. The topic they had discussed had been amusing as she had to admit that there was trouble picturing Kristoff staying at the palace on a regular basis. The clothes he was borrowing didn't seem to suit him the way his own clothes did. And this just wasn't his world. For all that he had become their friend he really did come across as someone a bit out of place whenever he had to be here for any length of time.

After filling his plate with various things, he then asked, "So what do you two have planned?"

Elsa just smiles and Anna chimed in, "We figured that getting the children of the families that are staying here to play some in the Great Hall might be a good thing. It would keep them occupied, give the parents some space as well as give us something to do besides sit and wait for this to blow over. I think it should be a lot of fun."

"Would you like to join us?" asked Elsa politely just before taking a sip of her coffee.

"I'm not sure. I get along better with troll kids than I do human ones," admitted Kristoff, looking a touch embarrassed.

"I did notice that this summer. They really did seem rather attached to you. That means this will be good for you. You never know when someone is going to snatch you up and make a parent out of you." teased Anna with a smirk.

This statement made Kristoff pale and stammer a little. "Do you… I mean… really?"

Elsa snickered a little behind her hand. Their Royal Ice Harvester was particularly funny in the least on purpose ways. "I am sure some women find you attractive Kristoff. Don't fear that."

"That still doesn't answer me. Yes or no." demanded Anna, clearly refusing to let go of her original query.

After blinking a few times while trying to find the thread of the conversation, Kristoff answered, "I think I am going to go with no this time."

Elsa nodded, content with his answer. "Very well. Let the staff know if you need anything Kristoff and they will get it for you."

Soon, the Queen and Princess entered the Great Hall and there was already a cacophony from the screaming and running about. This make the two nobles smile. There was just something pure and encouraging about children managing to find fun even at a time like this. Elsa created some snow in one area of the room, which got plenty of oohs and the kids flocked over there to start a snowball fight. Anna excitedly joined in while Elsa just watched from the side, content to observe. She felt a tug at her sleeve and turned, looking down. Ingrid was standing there looking up at her shyly. Elsa smiled at the young girl and said, "Hello Ingrid, how have you been?"

"I'm fine your Majesty. Thank you." The little girl fidgeted as she gazed up at the queen worriedly. The tone of her voice changed as well, "Are you okay? We heard that you got hurt yesterday."

"I'm fine. I just got very tired yesterday from removing all the snow from the tops of the buildings and fainted. After some rest I was perfectly fine." Elsa crouched down to be closer in height to the girl. It felt a bit awkward but less awkward than constantly looking down at the girl. "And how are your parents?"

Ingrid shuffled her feet some at that and said, "My parents are dead your Majesty. I'm staying with my Aunt and Uncle."

"I'm sorry to hear that Ingrid." Elsa was a bit shocked to hear that. For some reason it had never occurred to her that other children could have face similar hardships to what she and Anna had.

"My daddy was a sailor on the flagship and he has been gone for over three years now. My mommy didn't make it through that winter because she was so sad. Since then I have been staying with my Aunty," explained Ingrid.

Elsa hugged the little girl, her heart going out to her. This girl had lost her parents at the same time she had, in the same tragic event. If only there was something she could do to help. "Do they need any help?"

"Well they have three boys of their own and that keeps them busy. I just try to stay out of the way." said Ingrid.

"Do they not have time for you?" asked Elsa worriedly. This girl was fallout from the death of her parents. In her own grief she had not thought about the families of the sailors who had perished alongside them. Grief isolated her focus even more than it had been before. Perhaps she needed to do something about that.

"Most of the time. That's why I have fun playing with different neighbors." Ingrid did seem rather upbeat despite all of this.

"That's good to hear. Why don't you go play with my sister for a little bit? I need to take care of something." Elsa said kindly.

Ingrid smiled and gave a very awkward curtsy before she scampered over to where the other children were playing with the princess. Elsa watched her, smiling to see the children enjoying themselves despite the howling of the wind and the rattling of the shutters. It was rather distracting but the happiness and play made the terrible weather less onerous. Turning from the scene, Elsa headed out of the Great Hall and walked towards the kitchen area, where she was sure Gerda was.

Opening the door, she was immediately assaulted by the rich smell of hot chocolate that filled the air and she sighed blissfully. Did life get better than chocolate? Her mind supplied an answer to that query and she blushed a bit. Well, maybe it did but chocolate was still way up there. She needed to get her mind out of the gutter before she spoke with Gerda. It wouldn't do to have her mind distracted by those sorts of thoughts as she spoke with the head housekeeper. The woman she was looking for walked up to her, with a somewhat confused look on her face at the Queen's presence, asking, "Can I help you your Majesty?"

Composing herself as best she could in these circumstances, Elsa replied, "Yes, two things actually. One, is the hot chocolate ready?"

Gerda actually smiled at that. It seemed as if some things never changed."Yes your Majesty. The cooks are ladling it into mugs as we speak."

"Excellent. And two… well… how does one go about getting a child as a charge?" Elsa was at a loss and felt like she would be less embarrassed overall if she spoke with the head housekeeper who she had known her whole life rather than the Seneschal.

Gerda blinked at her a few times, clearly at a loss. "Pardon me your Majesty?"

Elsa colored a little, unsure how to continue. "One of the children I rescued, the little girl, Ingrid is who I am talking about. The family she is living with is apparently having some financial issues given that they have 3 boys of their own as well as her. Since her father passed in the same shipwreck as my parents, it seemed… well, somewhat fitting to take her in as a Royal Charge."

Gerda grinned at her. "Seems like someone had a profound effect on you, your Majesty."

The color on her face deepened but Elsa did not bow her head and she continued on. "She did. I just want to help her and her family if I can. I thought that might be an approach that might have merit."

"I will talk to the Seneschal about this matter for you and he can set things in motion if that is what is to happen. He will find out what her Aunt and Uncle think so you do not have to get involved over much. This way things can proceed as if it were simply as normal matter and not your special interest. Now, why don't we take the hot chocolate in to the children who are no doubt tired and cold from playing in your snow? I am sure that Princess Anna will appreciate it as well. You know how she is," said Gerda.

Elsa smiled. She did indeed know how Anna was and she anticipated looking at the blissful face that her love made when she tasted her drink.


	15. Chapter 15

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

A/N: Sorry it took so long. Health issues abound, delaying things. Enjoy.

The Storm

15

The shutters rattled almost continuously, struggling against the wind screaming at them from outside. This had been going on for most of the day and with the exception of loud gusts occasionally banging a shutter free it had faded into the background. The children had all been returned to their parents after several hours of play in the Great Hall. Dinner had been eaten, Anna and Kristoff chatting merrily while Elsa's thoughts wandered over Ingrid and what she could mean for them. Now a bit later still, Elsa and Anna were alone in their quarters, sitting in front of the fire, just enjoying the presence of each other. "Did you have fun today Anna?"

Her sister sighed and leaned back further into the cushions. "I did. Those kids were so much fun to play with but oh am I tired."

"You're just a big kid as well Anna," stated Elsa, trying to hold in her grin.

Anna turned to face her, scrunching up her face in mock irritation, "Oh you stinker!"

Elsa laughed and hugged her sister. After a few moments of tenseness, Anna started hugging back before she began tickling her. That went on for a bit, the two of them giggling like mad before they both tumbled to the floor. That made them both start laughing even harder at the humor of it all. Anna just lay there, on top of her sister and sighed, "I missed this."

"You did?" asked Elsa, curious.

"Well, yeah. We were so close for the longest time and then one day you vanished. I only caught glimpses of you after that and mom and dad never told me why this was happening. They just said that it was for the best. I thought it had been something I had done but I just couldn't give up on us. We had been such best friends and then you disappeared. There was no way I ever wanted to let that go," said Anna, looking at her sister fondly.

Elsa hugged Anna and kissed the back of her neck. Her heart ached from how intense she was feeling at the moment. "You have no idea how much that hurt, to shut you out like that. When I hurt you that night I just about died. And then between the trolls making me scared of my power and Dad making me almost ashamed of it, I was terrified that if I ever got close to you I would hurt you again. I couldn't bear that thought." Elsa laughed weakly. "You hear this storm?"

In the silence of their room the howling of the wind and the pelting of the ice against the palace was almost visceral. Anna listened for a few seconds as she slid off her sister, making sure to face her as she sat there. "Yeah."

"That is what it was like in my head, in my heart. I was terrified of hurting the sister I loved so much so I locked myself away with only that emotional storm for company." Elsa's voice was soft as memories of that time ran through her thoughts. "I hurt every day because I couldn't see you because I wanted nothing more than to keep you safe."

"And then you ran up North Mountain and locked yourself away again," commented Anna with a slight chuckle.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well I didn't see it that way at the time. I saw that as getting free of the constraints that held me back."

"Isn't this better though?"

Elsa hugged her sister again and kissed her softly, letting the love she felt for her flow out. They were quiet for a bit while that happened. "Yes, yes it is. Thank you for this. It couldn't have happened without you."

Anna chuckled a little more, "Yeah well, thank you for turning me back from being ice."

"Well, you know, in a very real way you did the same for me," said Elsa, lowering her head, her voice growing softer.

The silence got a touch awkward before Anna got to her feet, held out her hand to her sister and said, "Come on love, let's get to bed."

Once they had changed into their night clothes, the two of them snuggled under the warmth of the goose down filled comforter. Finally situated the girls were facing each other and gazing at each other, content. "Today was a good day."

Elsa couldn't stop the smile that filled her face not that she wanted to try, "Yes it was, even with how difficult it was dealing with the harbor. I just hope that Arendelle makes it through this storm in one piece."

"I guess we will find out in the morning. But don't worry about it Elsa, you are a great Queen. You really do care about our people, a great deal. Even if there is a lot of damage through the town I am sure they know you will take care of them." There was no doubt in Anna's voice whatsoever, just pride and surety.

"I hope they know that." said Elsa, worried that their people might not understand.

Anna hugged her again, kissed her on the temple, and said, "Hush now love, let's just go to sleep. Things will be better in the morning."

Elsa snuggled against the girl she so loved and tried to let her anxieties go long enough to drift off to sleep. It took a while, but the warmth of Anna and her familiar and relaxing scent was enough to lull her to sleep's embrace. Soon the two girls were both wrapped together in deep sleep.

Blinking her eyes in confusion, Elsa lifted her head, brain foggy from sleep, unsure what was going on. Something had changed and it had woken her. She tried to figure it out, her eyes sweeping over the room but nothing seemed out of place. Embers still glowed in the fire place, the grate keeping the room safe. The door to the room was closed, as was the one to the water closet. Nothing was moving and no sound could be heard. Casting her eyes about one more time before giving up she lowered her head back down to the pillow before realization struck. No sound could be heard.

Sitting upright, Elsa slid out of bed and raced over to the windows, straining her ears to catch any sound but there was nothing. The very air felt different as well, it seemed still, soft. Was it over?

Needing to see, Elsa concentrated on what the exterior latches looked like for the shutters and with a twist of her wrist her power flared, slipping them free. The shutters came open with a slight crack and she looked out across the palace and in the distance she could make out the rooftops of Arendelle.

Ice coated everything, weighing down the branches of the trees, coating every surface available, and reflecting the starlight and faint moonlight through the widening gaps in the clouds. It was beautiful and took her breath away. The town seemed to glitter some, the drifting clouds breaking up the light enough to make it happen. It reminded Elsa of her palace up on North Mountain in terms of beauty, the way light was caught and played with, only this was less controlled and focused, more wild and primal. She could do nothing but stand there and stare at this beautiful scene.

A hand rested on her shoulder and Elsa started slightly. She calmed when she heard her sister's voice say, "Is it over?"

Not knowing what to say, Elsa only nodded.

"Wow. This is amazing."

Elsa turned and looked over her shoulder at her sister, whose face was partially illuminated from the outside light, bits of light catching in her eyes. "Yes, yes it is."

"I hope that everything is okay, but I know it will be fine. You're here and you love Arendelle almost as much as you love me. And we both know what that means."

Elsa blushed and looked back out at the ice covered landscape. Part of her yearned for this, this ice covered world but the warmth her sister provided kept the ice from taking complete hold of her heart. She wanted the world warm and safe, if for no other reason than it would keep her sister, her love happy. That was all that mattered in the end, for Anna's happiness brought her happiness.

Anna began to kiss and nip at her neck and ear. "Come on Elsa, I got an idea. Let's see if I can motivate you enough to help Arendelle wake to an ice free morning."

Elsa's blush deepened and her heart began to race. The mere idea had her nipples begin to tighten in anticipation and she could feel warmth building down below. She had to admit it was a lovely way to motivate her power and she would certainly try. This was certainly not a method she would ever want as a public display. Part of her wanted it to fail if only because of how smug Anna would be afterwards.


	16. Chapter 16

The Storm

So, yeah… these characters are so totally not mine. Disney owns them, lock, stock and barrel. I am merely playing in their snowbank.

The Storm

16

Anna awoke to sunlight peeking through the shutters and looked over at her sister, who was still happily dreaming away. Last night, when they made love, had been wonderful, so creative and powerful, and they had both simply collapsed afterwards, falling right to sleep. That rarely happened when they made love but they had both been really trying to wear the other out, building up as much physical proof of love as possible and it was clearly a tie. Anna was just pleased that the two of them were naked under the sheets as she adored cuddling against her sister's usually cool skin. Since she was warm all the time, having someone there to cool you while you slept was a good thing. And Elsa was appreciative of her warmth, despite not being effected by the cold. Just another way that showed they belonged together.

Deciding on the perfect way to wake her sister up, Anna slid under the covers and in the darkness managed to find her target, peppering her love's skin with soft kisses. Elsa moved slightly under her lips and Anna grinned mischievously to herself. She began to kiss her way down as she moved, kissing the swell of the breasts, down past the rib cage, getting more response from her sister the whole time. When she reached Elsa's belly she gave it several soft kisses before she let her plan loose, pressed her lips down, and gave Elsa the best tummy blast she knew how. It was loud and she could feel the belly vibrate under her lips.

Elsa snapped awake from a lovely and sexy dream to tickling sensations, her body trying to squirm away from the source. She started to lightly whack Anna on her head through the blankets, "Stop that!"

Anna relented after a few moments then came up out of the sheets giggling. She chirped, "Good morning Elsa."

"Brat."

"Yep. The sky's awake so I'm awake." Anna grinned mightily and then spluttered as some loose snow flumped into her face. "HEY!"

Elsa was giggling under the safety of the sheets, her voice somewhat muffled, "Problem?"

"Stinker," declared Anna.

"Brat."

"Love you."

"Love you."

The two young women shared a kiss that grew deeper and more intense and eventually they came up for air. Elsa smiled at her sister, the love clear in her gaze, and then she sighed. "I should get up anyway so I can find out how Arendelle weathered the storm. And if things are better, see if there are any repercussions to our revelation before the town council."

"Elsa, the people of Arendelle love you. I'm sure it will be fine." Anna watched as Elsa slid from the bed and headed for the bathing chambers. She had to admit that the hip sway was mesmerizing.

When they finally left their rooms and reached downstairs, and breakfast, the staff was quite chipper. Something was clearly going well. After curtseying, one of the newer maids said, "Thank you your majesties."

"Wait, what?" asked Anna a touch confused. She hadn't done anything nice for this woman, had she?

"The snow and ice are gone from the palace, at least the most dangerous of it. Everything looks like it should in winter, without the horrid groaning and creaking of the wood."

Elsa's cheeks colored slightly at the praise and Anna beamed, "That's wonderful!"

"Thank you so much your Majesty for taking care of that."

"It was my pleasure." Elsa smiled and the maid bowed and left them.

Once they were alone again, Anna squeed, saying, "Yes! Everything is so great."

"Now Anna, we need to check with the Council to see what they can say before we can state that. There may be issues she was not aware of, like the state of the rest of Arendelle." Elsa was trying to be logical and practical, two things Anna did not do well. That was fine as her sister excelled in her own areas quite nicely.

"Fine. I suppose that makes sense," conceded Anna.

Elsa gestured to one of her guards, who often worked during breakfast, as he often doubled as a runner. "Could you please inform the Chancellor that I would like to speak with him and the town council as to the state of Arendelle?"

"Certainly your Majesty." He bowed and left the room.

Once the meal was finished, Anna hugged her sister then went to check on the Household and their guests while Elsa went to check on the state of her country. It seemed like a fair division of labor after all. Besides, Anna actually had a great rapport with them, having interacted with them a great deal while growing up. The men she had asked to see were waiting for her in her office, rising to their feet as she entered. She inclined her head ever so slightly in recognition, "Gentlemen."

"Your Majesty." They said as one.

"How did Arendelle fair against the worst part of the storm? I know I tried to mitigate some of the damage over the course of the evening but am unaware how successful I was."

The Chancellor and Bishop chuckled at that while the Mayor said, "You were quite successful your Majesty, clearing a great deal of the snow and ice. Only a few buildings had serious damage and those were all older structures which had survived a great many winters already. If the ice had lingered it is likely that the damage would have been greater than we endured. Our fleet also came out relatively unharmed. Thank you for your efforts."

"It was my pleasure Lord Mayor. Taking care of my people is part of my duty to Arendelle." Elsa smiled pleasantly to the man, trying so hard not to think about why most of Arendelle was cleared of snow and ice.

"Certainly Majesty."

"With the Harbor cleared as well as the fjord, trade should be easily resumed as can fishing. There should be little difficulty throughout the rest of this winter thanks to this. We might be able to get work crews out to fix the damaged buildings and do the largest repairs come Spring," stated the Chancellor, looking down at some papers in his hands.

"That sounds good. Have the guards go through the town and check to make sure everyone is fine and record what damage has occurred. We can go after the most serious problems first." Elsa was running things through her head, trying to find the best answer to the question of how best to take care of her people. "Please get back to me when that has been taken care of. Is there anything else gentlemen?"

"Not at this time your Majesty." The council stood, bowed and all left, leaving the Chancellor there with her.

Elsa looked up at him, wondering why he had remained behind. "Yes?"

"I wanted to inform you that the girl's family has agreed to your proposal. They can see the benefits of this as well as any other parent. The fact that they shall get some money out of the deal helped some. That will allow them to better care for their boys."

Elsa felt her heart and cheeks warm. This was fabulous news. She had so hoped that Ingrid's Aunt and Uncle would agree to this. "Thank you for informing me. Has Ingrid been informed of the state of things?"

The Chancellor chuckled, "Not to my knowledge, your Majesty."

"Tell Gerda to have one of the girls collect her. I guess they can act like she has become part of the household staff or something. Then at lunch she can join Anna and myself where we can tell her the news. When the girls gather up her things have them put it all in Anna's old room without Ingrid's knowledge if possible." Elsa grinned to herself. Ingrid was so wonderful and this would be such a surprise. She really was looking forward to this.

With a barely restrained smirk, the Chancellor bowed and said, "I shall inform Gerda at once."

After he left her office, Elsa went to her window and looked out across her country. They had weathered the storm, both the physical one and the one created by her and Anna's relationship becoming common knowledge. Sure there would be other storms of both kinds but for right now she felt a warm sense of accomplishment. She and Anna had done their best for Arendelle in all ways and her people seemed to appreciate that. So all in all it was not such a bad thing after all. Now all she needed at this moment was some hot chocolate and things would be completely perfect.

Turning back to her desk, she looked at the correspondence, mundane tasks that had been pushed aside due to the emergency. It was time to get back to the business of running the country, a task she did not want to yield to anyone. She noted the sun seal of Corona on one of the top missives and opened the letter, now what could her Aunt and Uncle want…

A/N: Thank you for reading. I am glad you all enjoyed this. It ended a bit faster than I thought, but I am not one to argue with story flow. Thank you all for your comments. Take care.


End file.
